From Ramsey to the Aliens

The Prompt

Explain Ramsey theory to a curious reader who knows no graph theory. Define what a Ramsey number is; prove that R(3,3) = 6 from first principles; cite Ramsey's 1930 paper, the Erdős-Szekeres 1935 improvement, and the 2023 exponential upper-bound result by Campos, Griffiths, Morris, and Sahasrabudhe. Include Erdős's aliens anecdote about R(5,5) and explain what it illustrates about the growth of Ramsey numbers.

Completion Criteria

A short essay (three or four paragraphs) with at least three citations, a proof that R(3,3) = 6, and the Erdős aliens anecdote placed in context.

Students who have attested

No Students have attested this quest yet. Be the first.