Alphabeta Math
False statementConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passaudited 2026-08-11
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FALSE: every two-colouring of N contains an infinite monochromatic arithmetic progression

Statement

Every two-colouring of N contains an infinite monochromatic arithmetic progression a,a+d,a+2d,… with d>0.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: Natural numbers and their order as in The natural numbers N (von Neumann) and Order on the natural numbers.

[L1]

Every finite colouring of a sufficiently long initial interval has a monochromatic arithmetic progression whose common difference has the same colour (Van der Waerden's theorem, strengthened so the progression and its common difference have one colour).

Refutation

technique · constructive
1.1construct

Colour 0 red. For n≥1, colour n red when the unique m with 2m≤n<2m+1 is even, and blue when m is odd. Thus consecutive dyadic blocks alternate colours, with every power of two assigned to the block beginning there.

2.1step 1.1algebra

Fix a∈N and d>0. For every sufficiently large m, let qm be the least q with a+qd≥2m. Minimality gives a+qmd<2m+d<2m+1, so the progression meets the mth dyadic block. It therefore meets infinitely many blocks of each parity and contains both colours.

3.1step 2.1L1discharge-construct∎

No infinite arithmetic progression is monochromatic in this colouring. This does not contradict [L1], which guarantees arbitrarily long finite progressions only. The displayed universal statement is false.

Depends on

Used by

Nothing in the library uses this result yet.

Dependency tree · two levels

11 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources