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Van der Waerden's Theorem

Combinatorics and Graph Theory

Van der Waerden's Theorem states that for any positive integers r and k, there exists a number N such that whenever the integers from 1 to N are colored using r colors, some single color class must contain an arithmetic progression of length k. Proved by Bartel van der Waerden, it is one of the founding results of Ramsey theory, guaranteeing that arithmetic structure cannot be entirely destroyed by any finite coloring.

Facts
Statement
Van der Waerden's theorem states that for any given positive integers r and k, there is some number N such that if the integers {1, 2, ..., N} are colored, each with one of r different colors, then there are at least k integers in arithmetic progression whose elements are of the same color. 2
Proof Year
1927 2
Classification
Statement Form
Existence Theorem 1
Connections

Has Statement Form

Entity-backed identity for the statement-form enum value this theorem already carries, resolved to a mathematics concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The statement-form fact itself stays on the theorem unchanged.

In Branch

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Van der Waerden's theorem
WikipediaLead section, statement-form reference
Quote, Lead section, statement-form reference
Van der Waerden's theorem states that for any given positive integers r and k, there is some number N such that if the integers {1, 2, ..., N} are colored, each with one of r different colors, then there are at least k integers in arithmetic progression whose elements are of the same color.
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2. Van der Waerden's Theorem (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence
    Van der Waerden's theorem states that for any given positive integers r and k, there is some number N such that if the integers {1, 2, ..., N} are colored, each with one of r different colors, then there are at least k integers in arithmetic progression whose elements are of the same color.
  • Lead paragraph, history sentence
    This was conjectured by Pierre Joseph Henry Baudet in 1921. Waerden heard of it in 1926 and published his proof in 1927, titled Beweis einer Baudetschen Vermutung [Proof of Baudet's conjecture].
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