Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences

Erd\H{o}s and Rothschild asked to estimate the maximum number, denotedby $h(n,c)$, such that every $n$-vertex graph with at least $cn^2$edges, each of which is contained in at least one triangle, mustcontain an edge that is in at least $h(n,c)$ triangles. In particular,Erd\H{o}s asked in 1987 to determine whether for every $c>0$ there is$\epsilon>0$ such that $h(n,c)>n^{\epsilon}$ for all sufficientlylarge $n$. We prove that $h(n,c)=n^{O(1/\log \log n)}$ for every fixed$c<1/4$. This gives a negative answer to the question of Erd\H{o}s,and is best possible in terms of the range for $c$, as it is knownthat every $n$-vertex graph with more than $n^2/4$ edges contains anedge that is in at least $n/6$ triangles.Joint work with Jacob Fox.