A function \(f:X\longrightarrow Y\) is said to be \(1\)–\(1\) (read one-to-one) when \(f(x)\neq f(x')\) for all \(x,x'\in X\) with \(x\neq x'\). A \(1\)–\(1\) function is also called an injection or we say that \(f\) is injective. When \(f:X\longrightarrow Y\) is \(1\)–\(1\), we note that \(|X|\le |Y|\). Conversely, we have the following self-evident statement, which is popularly called the “Pigeon Hole” principle.
Proposition4.1Pigeon Hole Principle
If \(f:X\longrightarrow Y\) is a function and \(|X|>|Y|\), then there exists an element \(y\in Y\) and distinct elements \(x,x'\in X\) so that \(f(x)=f(x')=y\).
In more casual language, if you must put \(n+1\) pigeons into \(n\) holes, then you must put two pigeons into the same hole.
Here is a classic result, whose proof follows immediately from the Pigeon Hole Principle.
Theorem4.2Erdős/Szekeres
If \(m\) and \(n\) are non-negative integers, then any sequence of \(mn+1\) distinct real numbers either has an increasing subsequence of \(m+1\) terms, or it has a decreasing subsequence of \(n+1\) terms.
Proof
Let \(\sigma=(x_1,x_2,x_3,\dots,x_{mn+1})\) be a sequence of \(mn+1\) distinct real numbers. For each \(i=1,2,\dots,mn+1\), let \(a_i\) be the maximum number of terms in a increasing subsequence of \(\sigma\) with \(x_i\) the first term. Also, let \(b_i\) be the maximum number of terms in a decreasing subsequence of \(\sigma\) with \(x_i\) the last term. If there is some \(i\) for which \(a_i\ge m+1\), then \(\sigma\) has an increasing subsequence of \(m+1\) terms. Conversely, if for some \(i\), we have \(b_i\ge n+1\), then we conclude that \(\sigma\) has a decreasing subsequence of \(n+1\) terms.
It remains to consider the case where \(a_i\le m\) and \(b_i\le n\) for all \(i=1,2,\dots,mn+1\). Since there are \(mn\) ordered pairs of the form \((a,b)\) where \(1\le a\le m\) and \(1\le b\le n\), we conclude from the Pigeon Hole principle that there must be integers \(i_1\) and \(i_2\) with \(1\le i_1\lt i_2\le mn+1\) for which \((a_{i_1},b_{i_1})=(a_{i_2},b_{i_2})\). Since \(x_{i_1}\) and \(x_{i_2}\) are distinct, we either have \(x_{i_1}\lt x_{i_2}\) or \(x_{i_1}>x_{i_2}\). In the first case, any increasing subsequence with \(x_{i_2}\) as its first term can be extended by prepending \(x_{i_1}\) at the start. This shows that \(a_{i_1}>a_{i_2}\). In the second case, any decreasing sequence of with \(x_{i_1}\) as its last element can be extended by adding \(x_{i_2}\) at the very end. This shows \(b_{i_2}>b_{i_1}\).
In Chapter 11, we will explore some powerful generalizations of the Pigeon Hole Principle. All these results have the flavor of the general assertion that total disarray is impossible.
