From: "C. Hillman" <optimist@u.washington.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.math
Subject: Re: Ramsey theory
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 18:28:20 -0700

On Thu, 28 May 1998, Albert Hawkins wrote:

> Can anyone tell me where to get information on the Ramsey theory?
> It is supposed to be "a branch of pure mathematics that states that disorder
> is impossible." (Newark Star Ledger--5/18)

It is a branch of combinatorics centered around a body of very general
theorems to the effect that "the complete absence of patterns is
impossible".  A good introduction to some of the classic theory may be
found in Graham & Rothschild, "Ramsey Theory", in Studies in
Combinatorics, Gian-Carlo Rota, ed., MAA Studies in Mathematics, Volume
17, MAA, 1978. 

Ramsey theory is just one way modern mathematics makes precise the
intuition that, roughly speaking, a certain amount of "coincidence" is to
be expected in most situations.

Chris Hillman

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