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\newtheorem{cor}{Corollary}
\newtheorem{lemma}{Lemma}
\newtheorem*{spern}{Sperner's Lemma}
\newtheorem*{thm}{Theorem}
\newtheorem{q}{Problem}
\theoremstyle{definition}
\newtheorem*{defn}{Definition}
\newtheorem*{ack}{Acknowledgements}

\title{A Proof of Sperner's Lemma via Hall's Theorem}
\author{T. C. Brown}
\date{}
\maketitle
\begin{center}{\small {\bf Citation data:} T.C. {Brown}, \emph{A proof of Sperner's lemma via Hall's theorem}, Proc. Camb.
  Philos. Soc. \textbf{78} (1975), 387.}\bigskip\end{center}

\emph{Sperner's Lemma.} Let $S$ be a Sperner set of subsets of $\{1,2,\dots,n\}$. (That is, for $A,B \in S$, if $A \ne B$ then $A \not\subset B$ and $B \not\subset A$.) Then $|S| \leq \binom{n}{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}$.

\begin{lemma} \label{lemma: 1}
Let $A_1,\dots,A_m$ be distinct $k$-element subsets of $\{1,2,\dots,n\}$, where $k \geq \lfloor n/2 \rfloor + 1$. Let $\mathcal{B}_i = \{B \subset A_i: |B| = k-1\}$ $( 1 \leq i \leq m)$. Then $\{\mathcal{B}_1, \dots, \mathcal{B}_m\}$ has a system of distinct representatives.
\end{lemma}

\begin{proof}[Proof of lemma]
We use Hall's Theorem, and to simplify notation we show only that $| \mathcal{B}_1 \cup \cdots \cup \mathcal{B}_m| \geq m$. Let $B \in \mathcal{B}_1 \cup \cdots \cup \mathcal{B}_m$, and let 
\[ e = \{i: B \in \mathcal{B}_i\} = \{i: B \subset A_i\}. \]
Since the $A_i$ are distinct $k$-element sets and $|B| = k-1$, we have $n \geq k - 1 + |e|$, and this with $k \geq \lfloor n/2 \rfloor + 1$ gives $|e| \leq k$. Then since $|\mathcal{B}_i| = k$ $(1 \leq i \leq m)$, we obtain $|\mathcal{B}_1 \cup \cdots \cup \mathcal{B}_m| \geq km/k = m$.
\end{proof}

\begin{proof}[Proof of Sperner's Lemma] Let $k = \max\{|A|: A \in S\}$. If $k \geq \lfloor n/2 \rfloor + 1$, let
\[ \{A_1, \dots,A_m\} = \{A \in S: |A| = k\}. \]
By the lemma, there are distinct sets $\phi(A_i)$ $(1 \leq i \leq m)$, such that $\phi(A_i) \subset A_i$ and $|\phi(A_i)| = k -1$. Thus in $S$ we may replace each $A_i$ by $\phi(A_i)$ $(1 \leq i \leq m)$, to obtain a new Sperner set $S'$ such that $|S'| = |S|$ and $A \in S' \Rightarrow |A| \leq k - 1$. Repeating this process as many times as required, we obtain a Sperner set $S^*$ such that $|S^*| = |S|$ and $A \in S^* \Rightarrow |A| \leq \lfloor n/2 \rfloor$. 

Now let $T = \{\{1,2,\dots,n\}\setminus A: A \in S^*\}$. Then $T$ is a Sperner set, $|T| = |S|$, and 
\[ A \in T \Rightarrow |A| \geq \lfloor n/2 \rfloor. \]
Thus, applying the above process to $T$, we obtain finally a Sperner set $T^*$ such that $|T^*| = |S|$ and $A \in T^* \Rightarrow |A| = \lfloor n/2\rfloor$. Thus $|S| \leq \binom{n}{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}$. 
\end{proof}

\nocite{hall1935,lubell1966,sperner1928}


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