On the codegree density of complete 3-graphs and related problems

Abstract: Given a family of 3-graphs F its codegree threshold coex(n, F) is the largest number d=d(n) such that there exists an n-vertex 3-graph in which every pair of vertices is contained in at least d 3-edges but which contains no member of F as a subgraph. The codegree density gamma(F) is the limit of coex(n,F)/(n-2) as n tends to infinity. In this paper we generalise a construction of Czygrinow and Nagle to bound below the codegree density of complete 3-graphs: for all integers s>3, the codegree density of the complete 3-graph on s vertices K_s satisfies gamma(K_s)\geq 1-1/(s-2). We also provide constructions based on Steiner triple systems which show that if this lower bound is sharp, then we do not have stability in general. In addition we prove bounds on the codegree density for two other infinite families of 3-graphs.