Planar polynomials and an extremal problem of Fischer and Matousek

Abstract

Let $G$ be a 3-partite graph with $k$ vertices in each part and suppose that between any two parts, there is no cycle of length four. Fischer and Matou\u{s}ek asked for the maximum number of triangles in such a graph. A simple construction involving arbitrary projective planes shows that there is such a graph with $(1 - o(1)) k^{3/2} $ triangles, and a double counting argument shows that one cannot have more than $(1+o(1)) k^{7/4} $ triangles. Using affine planes defined by specific planar polynomials over finite fields, we improve the lower bound to $(1 - o(1)) k^{5/3}$.