We study the problem of finding the largest numberT(n,m) of ternary vectors of lengthnsuch that for any three distinct vectors there are at leastmcoordinates where they pairwise differ. This problem is a special case of the perfectk-hashing problem in theoretical computer science, corresponding to thek= 3 case. Form= 1, we get the classical trifference problem which is wide open. We prove upper and lower bounds onT(n,m) for various ranges of the parametermand determine the phase transition threshold onm=m(n) whereT(n,m) jumps from constant to exponential in n. By relating the linear version of this problem to a problem on blocking sets in finite geometry, we give explicit constructions and probabilistic lower bounds. We also compute the exact values of this function and its linear variation for small parameters. Moreover, we relate the trifference problem to the sunflower conjecture.

Abstract. An oriented graph [Formula: see text] is quasirandom-forcing if the limit (homomorphism) density of [Formula: see text] in a sequence of tournaments is [Formula: see text] if and only if the sequence is quasirandom. We study generalizations of the following result: the cyclic orientation of a cycle of length [Formula: see text] is quasirandom-forcing if and only if [Formula: see text]. We show that no orientation of an odd cycle is quasirandom-forcing. In the case of even cycles, we find sufficient conditions on an orientation to be quasirandom-forcing, which we complement by identifying necessary conditions. Using our general results and spectral techniques used to obtain them, we classify which orientations of cycles of length up to 10 are quasirandom-forcing.