We study the partition relation $X@>{\rm w}>>[Y]_{p}^{2}$ that is a weakening of the usual partition relation $X\rightarrow [Y]_{p}^{2}$ . Our main result asserts that if κ is an uncountable strongly compact cardinal and $\germ{d}_{\kappa}\leq \lambda ^{<\kappa}$ , then $I_{\kappa,\lambda}^{+}@>{\rm w}>>[I_{\kappa,\lambda}^{+}]_{\lambda <\kappa}^{2}$ does not hold.

We explore the connection between combinatorial principles on uncountable cardinals, like stick and club, on the one hand, and the combinatorics of sets of reals and, in particular, cardinal invariants of the continuum, on the other hand. For example, we prove that additivity of measure implies that Martin’s axiom holds for any Cohen algebra. We construct a model in which club holds, yet the covering number of the null ideal is large. We show that for uncountable cardinals κ≤λ and , (...) if all subsets of λ either contain, or are disjoint from, a member of , then has size at least etc. As an application, we solve the Gross space problem under by showing that there is such a space over any countable field. In two appendices, we solve problems of Fuchino, Shelah and Soukup, and of Kraszewski, respectively. (shrink)