Flag algebras

Asymptotic extremal combinatorics deals with questions that in the language of model theory can be re-stated as follows. For finite models M, N of an universal theory without constants and function symbols (like graphs, digraphs or hypergraphs), let p(M, N) be the probability that a randomly chosen sub-model of N with |M | elements is isomorphic to M . Which asymptotic relations exist between the quantities p(M1, N), . . . , p(Mh, N), where M1, . . . , Mh are fixed “template” models and |N | grows to infinity? In this paper we develop a formal calculus that captures many standard arguments in the area, both previously known and apparently new. We give the first application of this formalism by presenting a new simple proof of a result by Fisher about the minimal possible density of triangles in a graph with given edge density. §