Add Erdős Problem 601 (infinite path or large independent set, $500 prize)

FormalConjectures/ErdosProblems/601.lean

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+Copyright 2026 The Formal Conjectures Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+-/
+
+import FormalConjectures.Util.ProblemImports
+
+/-!
+# Erdős Problem 601
+
+**Verbatim statement (Erdős #601, status O):**
+> For which limit ordinals $\alpha$ is it true that if $G$ is a graph with vertex set $\alpha$ then $G$ must have either an infinite path or independent set on a set of vertices with order type $\alpha$?
+
+**Source:** https://www.erdosproblems.com/601
+
+**Notes:** OPEN - $500
+
+
+*References:*
+ - [erdosproblems.com/601](https://www.erdosproblems.com/601)
+ - [EHM70] Erdős, Paul; Hajnal, András; Milner, Eric C., On sets of almost disjoint subsets
+   of a set. Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar. (1968), 209-218.
+ - [La90] Larson, Jean A., Martin's Axiom and ordinal graphs: large independent sets or infinite
+   paths. European J. Combin. (1990), 117-124.
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+For which limit ordinals $\alpha$ is it true that if $G$ is a graph with vertex set $\alpha$
+(the ordinal $\alpha$ viewed as a set) then $G$ must have either an infinite path or an
+independent set whose vertices have order type $\alpha$?
+
+## Known Results
+
+- **Erdős–Hajnal–Milner [EHM70]**: The property holds for all limit ordinals
+  $\alpha < \omega_1^{\omega+2}$.
+- **Larson [La90]**: Assuming Martin's Axiom (MA), the property holds for all limit
+  ordinals $\alpha < 2^{\aleph_0}$.
+- Erdős offered **$250** for settling the case $\alpha = \omega_1^{\omega+2}$ and
+  **$500** for the general question (for which limit ordinals the property holds).
+
+## Status: OPEN ($500 prize)
+
+## Formalization Choices
+
+- The vertex set of the graph is `α.ToType` (the type corresponding to the ordinal `α`).
+- An **infinite path** in `G` is an injective sequence `f : ℕ → α.ToType` such that
+  consecutive terms are adjacent: `G.Adj (f n) (f (n + 1))` for all `n`. This avoids
+  the finite-length restriction of `SimpleGraph.Walk`.
+- An **independent set of order type `α`** is a set `s ⊆ α.ToType` such that `G.IsIndepSet s`
+  (pairwise non-adjacent) and `typeLT s = α` (order type equals `α`).
+- A **limit ordinal** is formalized as `Order.IsSuccLimit α` (neither zero nor a successor).
+- Martin's Axiom (MA) is not currently formalized in Mathlib; we state Larson's result
+  with MA as an explicit `Prop` hypothesis.
+
+## Overview
+
+`HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α` captures the property for a single ordinal `α`:
+every graph on `α.ToType` has either an infinite path or an independent set of order type `α`.
+
+The main open problem `erdos_601` asks to characterize exactly which limit ordinals `α`
+have this property.
+-/
+
+open Cardinal Ordinal SimpleGraph
+
+namespace Erdos601
+
+universe u
+
+/- ### Key definition -/
+
+/--
+`HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α` holds for an ordinal `α` if every simple graph on `α.ToType`
+contains either:
+1. an **infinite path**: an injective function `f : ℕ → α.ToType` with `G.Adj (f n) (f (n+1))`
+   for all `n`, or
+2. an **independent set of order type `α`**: a set `s ⊆ α.ToType` that is pairwise
+   non-adjacent in `G` and whose order type (under the well-order inherited from `α`) equals `α`.
+
+This is the central property studied in Erdős Problem 601.
+-/
+def HasPathOrIndepSetOfType (α : Ordinal.{u}) : Prop :=
+  ∀ G : SimpleGraph α.ToType,
+    -- Either there exists an infinite path in G ...
+    (∃ f : ℕ → α.ToType, Function.Injective f ∧ ∀ n, G.Adj (f n) (f (n + 1))) ∨
+    -- ... or there exists an independent set of order type α
+    (∃ s : Set α.ToType, G.IsIndepSet s ∧ typeLT s = α)
+
+/- ### Main open problem -/
+
+/--
+**Erdős Problem 601** (OPEN, **$500 prize**):
+
+For which limit ordinals `α` does `HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α` hold?
+
+That is: for which limit ordinals `α` is it true that every graph with vertex set `α`
+must contain either an infinite path or an independent set whose vertices have order type `α`?
+
+Erdős offered $250 for the case `α = ω₁ ^ (ω + 2)` and **$500 for the general characterization**.
+
+*Known partial results:*
+- Erdős–Hajnal–Milner proved the property holds for all `α < ω₁ ^ (ω + 2)`
+  (see `erdos_601.variants.erdos_hajnal_milner_1970`).
+- Larson proved the property holds for all `α < 2 ^ ℵ₀` assuming Martin's Axiom
+  (see `erdos_601.variants.under_martin_axiom`).
+
+**Status**: OPEN.
+-/
+@[category research open, AMS 5]
+theorem erdos_601 :
+    ∀ α : Ordinal.{0}, Order.IsSuccLimit α →
+      (HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α ↔
+        (answer(sorry) : Ordinal.{0} → Prop) α) := by
+  sorry
+
+/--
+**Universal variant** (named conjectural form): the strong statement that
+`HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α` holds for *every* limit ordinal `α`. The headline open problem
+(`erdos_601`) is the weaker characterization question; this variant asks whether the
+universal answer is "yes". -/
+@[category research open, AMS 5]
+theorem erdos_601.variants.universal :
+    answer(sorry) ↔
+    ∀ α : Ordinal.{0}, Order.IsSuccLimit α → HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α := by
+  sorry
+
+/- ### Variants and partial results -/
+
+namespace erdos_601.variants
+
+/--
+**Erdős–Hajnal–Milner (1970)**: For all limit ordinals `α < ω₁^{ω+2}`,
+every graph on `α.ToType` has either an infinite path or an independent set of order type `α`.
+
+This is the known positive result up to (but not including) the threshold ordinal `ω₁^{ω+2}`.
+
+**Status**: TRUE (Erdős–Hajnal–Milner).
+-/
+@[category research solved, AMS 5]
+theorem erdos_hajnal_milner_1970 :
+    ∀ α : Ordinal.{0},
+      Order.IsSuccLimit α →
+      α < ω_ 1 ^ (ω + 2) →
+      HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α := by
+  sorry
+
+/--
+**The $250 sub-question at `ω₁^{ω+2}`**: Does `HasPathOrIndepSetOfType (ω₁^{ω+2})` hold?
+
+Erdős offered $250 specifically for determining whether every graph on `ω₁^{ω+2}`
+has either an infinite path or an independent set of order type `ω₁^{ω+2}`.
+
+The ordinal `ω₁^{ω+2}` is the first case not covered by the Erdős–Hajnal–Milner theorem.
+
+**Status**: OPEN ($250 sub-prize).
+-/
+@[category research open, AMS 5]
+theorem omega_1_omega_plus_2 :
+    HasPathOrIndepSetOfType (ω_ 1 ^ (ω + 2)) := by
+  sorry
+
+/--
+**Larson (1990), assuming Martin's Axiom**: For all limit ordinals `α < 2^{ℵ₀}`,
+every graph on `α.ToType` has either an infinite path or an independent set of order type `α`.
+
+Larson proved that under Martin's Axiom (MA), the property `HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α`
+holds for all limit ordinals below the continuum `2^{ℵ₀}`.
+
+Since Martin's Axiom is independent of ZFC and is not currently formalized in Mathlib,
+we state it here as an explicit hypothesis `MA : Prop`. In a fuller formalization this
+would be the appropriate axiom scheme from set theory.
+
+**Status**: TRUE (under Martin's Axiom, Larson 1990).
+-/
+@[category research solved, AMS 5]
+theorem under_martin_axiom
+    -- Martin's Axiom, stated as an abstract hypothesis (not yet in Mathlib).
+    (MA : Prop) :
+    MA →
+    ∀ α : Ordinal.{0},
+      Order.IsSuccLimit α →
+      α < Cardinal.continuum.ord →
+      HasPathOrIndepSetOfType α := by
+  sorry
+
+/--
+**Base case `α = ω`**: `HasPathOrIndepSetOfType ω` holds.
+
+Every countably infinite graph on vertex set `ω` either contains an infinite path or has
+an infinite independent set (and an infinite set has order type `ω`). This special case
+follows from Ramsey-theoretic arguments (e.g., Ramsey's theorem for countable graphs
+or König's infinity lemma) and also from the Erdős–Hajnal–Milner result since `ω < ω₁^{ω+2}`.
+
+**Status**: TRUE.
+-/
+@[category research solved, AMS 5]
+theorem at_omega : HasPathOrIndepSetOfType ω := by
+  sorry
+
+end erdos_601.variants
+
+end Erdos601