Let $F$ be a $k\times \ell$ (0,1)-matrix. We say a (0,1)-matrix $A$ has $F$ as a configuration if there is a submatrix of $A$ which is a row and column permutation of $F$. In the language of sets, a configuration is a trace and in the language of hypergraphs a configuration is a subhypergraph.Let $F$ be a given $k\times \ell$ (0,1)-matrix. We define a matrix to be simple if it is a (0,1)-matrix with no repeated columns. The matrix $F$ need not be simple. We define $\hbox{forb}(m,F)$ as the maximum number of columns of any simple $m$-rowed matrix $A$ which do not contain $F$ as a configuration. Thus if $A$ is an $m\times n$ simple matrix which has no submatrix which is a row and column permutation of $F$ then $n\le\hbox{forb}(m,F)$. Or alternatively if $A$ is an $m\times (\hbox{forb}(m,F)+1)$ simple matrix then $A$ has a submatrix which is a row and column permutation of $F$. We call $F$ a forbidden configuration. The fundamental result is due to Sauer, Perles and Shelah, Vapnik and Chervonenkis. For $K_k$ denoting the $k\times 2^k$ submatrix of all (0,1)-columns on $k$ rows, then $\hbox{forb}(m,K_k)=\binom{m}{k-1}+\binom{m}{k-2}+\cdots \binom{m}{0}$. We seek asymptotic results for $\hbox{forb}(m,F)$ for a fixed $F$ and as $m$ tends to infinity . A conjecture of Anstee and Sali predicts the asymptotically best constructions from which to derive the asymptotics of $\hbox{forb}(m,F)$. The conjecture has helped guide the research and has been verified for $k\times \ell$ $F$ with $k=1,2,3$ and for simple $F$ with $k=4$ as well as other cases including $\ell=1,2$. We also seek exact values for $\hbox{forb}(m,F)$.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.