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Let $R_k(3)$ denote the smallest integer $N$ such that every $k$-edge-coloring of the complete graph $K_N$ contains a monochromatic triangle. A simple inductive argument gives the classical factorial upper bound $R_k(3)\leq k!=k^{O(k)}$, whereas the best previously known lower bound was only exponential in $k$, namely, $R_k(3)\geq 2^{\Omega(k)}$. It was a longstanding open problem of Erd\H{o}s …

