H-domination in graphs

Let H be some fixed graph of order p. For a given graph G and vertex set S⊆V(G), we say that S is H-decomposable if S can be partitioned as S=S₁∪S₂∪?∪S_j where, for each of the disjoint subsets S_i, with 1?i?j, we have |S_i|=p and H is a spanning subgraph of 〈S_i〉, the subgraph induced by S_i. We define the H-domination number of G, denoted as γ_H(G), to be the minimum cardinality of an H-decomposable dominating set S. If no such dominating set exists, we write γ_H(G)=∞. We show that the associated H-domination decision problem is NP-complete for every choice of H. Bounds are shown for γ_H(G). We show, in particular, that if δ(G)?2, then γ_P3(G)?3γ(G). Also, if γ_P3(G)=3γ(G), then every γ(G)-set is an efficient dominating set.     

Weak sense of direction labelings and graph embeddings

An edge-labeling λ for a directed graph G has a weak sense of direction (WSD) if there is a function f that satisfies the condition that for any node u and for any two label sequences α and α^′ generated by non-trivial walks on G starting at u, f(α)=f(α^′) if and only if the two walks end at the same node. The function f is referred to as a coding function of λ. The weak sense of direction number of G, WSD(G), is the smallest integer k so that G has a WSD-labeling that uses k labels. It is known that WSD(G)≥Δ⁺(G), where Δ⁺(G) is the maximum outdegree of G.Let us say that a function τ:V(G)→V(H) is an embedding from G onto H if τ demonstrates that G is isomorphic to a subgraph of H. We show that there are deep connections between WSD-labelings and graph embeddings. First, we prove that when f_H is the coding function that naturally accompanies a Cayley graph H and G has a node that can reach every other node in the graph, then G has a WSD-labeling that has f_H as a coding function if and only if G can be embedded onto H. Additionally, we show that the problem “Given G, does G have a WSD-labeling that uses a particular coding function f?” is NP-complete even when G and f are fairly simple.Second, when D is a distributive lattice, H(D) is its Hasse diagram and G(D) is its cover graph, then WSD(H(D))=Δ⁺(H(D))=d^∗, where d^∗ is the smallest integer d so that H(D) can be embedded onto the d-dimensional mesh. Along the way, we also prove that the isometric dimension of G(D) is its diameter, and the lattice dimension of G(D) is Δ⁺(H(D)). Our WSD-labelings are poset-based, making use of Birkhoff’s characterization of distributive lattices and Dilworth’s theorem for posets.     

Topology of random clique complexes

In a seminal paper, Erd?s and Rényi identified a sharp threshold for connectivity of the random graph G(n,p). In particular, they showed that if p?logn/n then G(n,p) is almost always connected, and if p?logn/n then G(n,p) is almost always disconnected, as n→∞.The clique complexX(H) of a graph H is the simplicial complex with all complete subgraphs of H as its faces. In contrast to the zeroth homology group of X(H), which measures the number of connected components of H, the higher dimensional homology groups of X(H) do not correspond to monotone graph properties. There are nevertheless higher dimensional analogues of the Erd?s-Rényi Theorem.We study here the higher homology groups of X(G(n,p)). For k>0 we show the following. If p=n^α, with α<−1/k or α>−1/(2k+1), then the kth homology group of X(G(n,p)) is almost always vanishing, and if −1/k<α<−1/(k+1), then it is almost always nonvanishing.We also give estimates for the expected rank of homology, and exhibit explicit nontrivial classes in the nonvanishing regime. These estimates suggest that almost all d-dimensional clique complexes have only one nonvanishing dimension of homology, and we cannot rule out the possibility that they are homotopy equivalent to wedges of a spheres.     

Triangle-free graphs with uniquely restricted maximum matchings and their corresponding greedoids

A matching M is uniquely restricted in a graph G if its saturated vertices induce a subgraph which has a unique perfect matching, namely M itself [M.C. Golumbic, T. Hirst, M. Lewenstein, Uniquely restricted matchings, Algorithmica 31 (2001) 139-154]. G is a König-Egerváry graph provided α(G)+μ(G)=|V(G)| [R.W. Deming, Independence numbers of graphs—an extension of the König-Egerváry theorem, Discrete Math. 27 (1979) 23-33; F. Sterboul, A characterization of the graphs in which the transversal number equals the matching number, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 27 (1979) 228-229], where μ(G) is the size of a maximum matching and α(G) is the cardinality of a maximum stable set. S is a local maximum stable set of G, and we write S∈Ψ(G), if S is a maximum stable set of the subgraph spanned by S∪N(S), where N(S) is the neighborhood of S. Nemhauser and Trotter [Vertex packings: structural properties and algorithms, Math. Programming 8 (1975) 232-248], proved that any S∈Ψ(G) is a subset of a maximum stable set of G. In [V.E. Levit, E. Mandrescu, Local maximum stable sets in bipartite graphs with uniquely restricted maximum matchings, Discrete Appl. Math. 132 (2003) 163-174] we have proved that for a bipartite graph G,Ψ(G) is a greedoid on its vertex set if and only if all its maximum matchings are uniquely restricted. In this paper we demonstrate that if G is a triangle-free graph, then Ψ(G) is a greedoid if and only if all its maximum matchings are uniquely restricted and for any S∈Ψ(G), the subgraph spanned by S∪N(S) is a König-Egerváry graph.     

Primitives and central detection numbers in group cohomology

Fix a prime p. Given a finite group G, let H^∗(G) denote its mod p cohomology. In the early 1990s, Henn, Lannes, and Schwartz introduced two invariants d₀(G) and d₁(G) of H^∗(G) viewed as a module over the mod p Steenrod algebra. They showed that, in a precise sense, H^∗(G) is respectively detected and determined by Hd(CG(V)) for d?d₀(G) and d?d₁(G), with V running through the elementary abelian p-subgroups of G.The main goal of this paper is to study how to calculate these invariants. We find that a critical role is played by the image of the restriction of H^∗(G) to H^∗(C), where C is the maximal central elementary abelian p-subgroup of G. A measure of this is the top degree e(G) of the finite dimensional Hopf algebra H^∗(C)_⊗H^∗(G)Fp, a number that tends to be quite easy to calculate.Our results are complete when G has a p-Sylow subgroup P in which every element of order p is central. Using the Benson-Carlson duality, we show that in this case, d₀(G)=d₀(P)=e(P), and a similar exact formula holds for d₁. As a bonus, we learn that He(G)(P) contains nontrivial essential cohomology, reproving and sharpening a theorem of Adem and Karagueuzian.In general, we are able to show that d₀(G)?max{e(CG(V))|V<G} if certain cases of Benson's Regularity Conjecture hold. In particular, this inequality holds for all groups such that the difference between the p-rank of G and the depth of H^∗(G) is at most 2. When we look at examples with p=2, we learn that d₀(G)?14 for all groups with 2-Sylow subgroup of order up to 64, with equality realized when G=SU(3,4).En route we study two objects of independent interest. If C is any central elementary abelian p-subgroup of G, then H^∗(G) is an H^∗(C)-comodule, and we prove that the subalgebra of H^∗(C)-primitives is always Noetherian of Krull dimension equal to the p-rank of G minus the p-rank of C. If the depth of H^∗(G) equals the rank of Z(G), we show that the depth essential cohomology of G is nonzero (reproving and extending a theorem of Green), and Cohen-Macauley in a certain sense, and prove related structural results.     

Paired bondage in trees

Let G=(V,E) be a graph with δ(G)≥1. A set D⊆V is a paired dominating set if D is dominating, and the induced subgraph 〈D〉 contains a perfect matching. The paired domination number of G, denoted by γ_p(G), is the minimum cardinality of a paired dominating set of G. The paired bondage number, denoted by b_p(G), is the minimum cardinality among all sets of edges E^′⊆E such that δ(G−E^′)≥1 and γ_p(G−E^′)>γ_p(G). We say that G is a γ_p-strongly stable graph if, for all E^′⊆E, either γ_p(G−E^′)=γ_p(G) or δ(G−E^′)=0. We discuss the basic properties of paired bondage and give a constructive characterization of γ_p-strongly stable trees.     

Graham’s pebbling conjecture on products of many cycles

A pebbling move on a connected graph G consists of removing two pebbles from some vertex and adding one pebble to an adjacent vertex. We define f_t(G) as the smallest number such that whenever f_t(G) pebbles are on G, we can move t pebbles to any specified, but arbitrary vertex. Graham conjectured that f₁(G×H)≤f₁(G)f₁(H) for any connected G and H. We define the α-pebbling number α(G) and prove that α(C_pj×?×C_p2×C_p1×G)≤α(C_pj)?α(C_p2)α(C_p1)α(G) when none of the cycles is C₅, and G satisfies one more criterion. We also apply this result with G=C₅×C₅ by showing that C₅×C₅ satisfies Chung’s two-pebbling property, and establishing bounds for f_t(C₅×C₅).     

On the chromatic forcing number of a random graph

When we wish to compute lower bounds for the chromatic number χ(G) of a graph G, it is of interest to know something about the ‘chromatic forcing number’ f_χ(G), which is defined to be the least number of vertices in a subgraph H of G such that χ(H) = χ(G). We show here that for random graphs G_n,p with n vertices, f_χ(G_n,p) is almost surely at least ($\text{1}\text{2}$?ε)n, despite say the fact that the largest complete subgraph of G_n,p has only about log n vertices.     

Relative colorings of graphs

In this paper, the notion of relative chromatic number χ(G, H) for a pair of graphs G, H, with H a full subgraph of G, is formulated; namely, χ(G, H) is the minimum number of new colors needed to extend any coloring of H to a coloring of G. It is shown that the four color conjecture (4CC) is equivalent to the conjecture (R4CC) that χ(G, H) ≤ 4 for any (possibly empty) full subgraph H of a planar graph G and also to the conjecture (CR3CC) that χ(G, H) ≤ 3 if H is a connected and nonempty full subgraph of planar G. Finally, relative coloring theorems on surfaces other than the plane or sphere are proved.     

On graphs with equal domination and 2-domination numbers

Let G be a simple graph, and let p be a positive integer. A subset D⊆V(G) is a p-dominating set of the graph G, if every vertex v∈V(G)-D is adjacent to at least p vertices in D. The p-domination numberγ_p(G) is the minimum cardinality among the p-dominating sets of G. Note that the 1-domination number γ₁(G) is the usual domination numberγ(G). This definition immediately leads to the inequality γ(G)?γ₂(G).In this paper we present some sufficient as well as some necessary conditions for graphs G with the property that γ₂(G)=γ(G). In particular, we characterize all cactus graphs H with γ₂(H)=γ(H).     

Light graphs in families of polyhedral graphs with prescribed minimum degree, face size, edge and dual edge weight

A graph H is defined to be light in a family H of graphs if there exists a finite number φ(H,H) such that each G∈H which contains H as a subgraph, contains also a subgraph K≅H such that the Δ_G(K)≤φ(H,H). We study light graphs in families of polyhedral graphs with prescribed minimum vertex degree δ, minimum face degree ρ, minimum edge weight w and dual edge weight w^∗. For those families, we show that there exists a variety of small light cycles; on the other hand, we also present particular constructions showing that, for certain families, the spectrum of short cycles contains irregularly scattered cycles that are not light.     

Cycle-magic graphs

A simple graph G=(V,E) admits a cycle-covering if every edge in E belongs at least to one subgraph of G isomorphic to a given cycle C. Then the graph G is C-magic if there exists a total labelling f:V∪E→{1,2,…,|V|+|E|} such that, for every subgraph H^′=(V^′,E^′) of G isomorphic to C, ∑_v∈V^′f(v)+∑_e∈E^′f(e) is constant. When f(V)={1,…,|V|}, then G is said to be C-supermagic.We study the cyclic-magic and cyclic-supermagic behavior of several classes of connected graphs. We give several families of C_r-magic graphs for each r?3. The results rely on a technique of partitioning sets of integers with special properties.     

Independence and coloring properties of direct products of some vertex-transitive graphs

Let α(G) and χ(G) denote the independence number and chromatic number of a graph G, respectively. Let G×H be the direct product graph of graphs G and H. We show that if G and H are circular graphs, Kneser graphs, or powers of cycles, then α(G×H)=max{α(G)|V(H)|,α(H)|V(G)|} and χ(G×H)=min{χ(G),χ(H)}.     

Chromaticity of certain tripartite graphs identified with a path

For a graph G, let P(G) be its chromatic polynomial. Two graphs G and H are chromatically equivalent if P(G)=P(H). A graph G is chromatically unique if P(H)=P(G) implies that H≅G. In this paper, we classify the chromatic classes of graphs obtained from K_2,2,2∪P_m(m?3), (K_2,2,2-e)∪P_m(m?5) and (K_2,2,2-2e)∪P_m(m?6) by identifying the end-vertices of the path P_m with any two vertices of K_2,2,2, K_2,2,2-e and K_2,2,2-2e, respectively, where e and 2e are, respectively, an edge and any two edges of K_2,2,2. As a by-product of this, we obtain some families of chromatically unique and chromatically equivalent classes of graphs.     

On ideals in the bidual of the Fourier algebra and related algebras

Let G be a compact nonmetrizable topological group whose local weight b(G) has uncountable cofinality. Let H be an amenable locally compact group, A(G×H) the Fourier algebra of G×H, and UC₂(G×H) the space of uniformly continuous functionals in VN(G×H)=A^∗(G×H). We use weak factorization of operators in the group von Neumann algebra VN(G×H) to prove that there exist at least ²b(G)² left ideals of dimensions at least ²b(G)² in A(G×H)^∗∗ and in UC₂^∗(G×H). We show that every nontrivial right ideal in A(G×H)^∗∗ and in UC₂^∗(G×H) has dimension at least ²b(G)².     

Small, nm-stable compact G-groups

We prove that if (H, G) is a small, nm-stable compact G-group, then H is nilpotent-by-finite, and if additionally NM(H) < ω or NM(H) = ω ^α for some ordinal α, then H is abelian-by-finite. Both results are significant steps towards the proof of the conjecture that each small, nm-stable compact G-group is abelian-by-finite. We provide counter-examples to the NM-gap conjecture, that is we give examples of small, nm-stable compact G-groups of infinite ordinal NM-rank.     

Critical graphs for chromatic difference sequences

Let α_k(G) denote the maximum number of vertices in a k-colorable subgraph of G. Set α_k=α_k(G)-α(_k-1)(G). The sequence a₁(G),a₂(G),… is called the chromatic difference sequence (cds) of G. We call a graph G critical if no proper subgraph of G has the same cds as G. We prove that (with a single exception) if there exists a graph G having cds (G)=〈a₁,a₂,a₃〉 (a₃>) and if a₁?a₂+a₃, then there exists a connected critical graph H with cds(H)= 〈a₁, a₂,a₂〉.     

Translation-invariant linear forms on C0(G), C(G), Lp(G) for noncompact groups

Suppose G is a locally compact noncompact group. For abelian such G's, it is shown in this paper that L¹(G), C(G), and L^∞(G) always have discontinuous translation-invariant linear forms(TILF's) while C₀(G) and L^p(G) for 1 < p < ∞ have such forms if and only if $\text{G}\text{H}$ is a torsion group for some open σ-compact subgroup H of $\text{G}$. For σ-compact amenable G's, all the above spaces have discontinuous left TILF's.     

Infinite ϕ-periodic graphs

Given a graph-valued function ?, a graph G is called ? -periodic if there is some integer p ≥ 1 such that G is isomorphic to ?^p(G). In this paper it is shown how to construct ?-periodic graphs, given essentially an embedding of a graph H as a subgraph of some iterated ?-graph ?^p (H), provided ? obeys certain axioms. Then the results are applied to some graph-valued functions known in the literature.     

Eigenvalues of a graph and its imbeddings

A graph H is imbedded in a graph G if a subset of the vertices of G determines a subgraph isomorphic to H. If λ(G) is the least eigenvalue of G and k_R(H) = lim sup_d→∞ {λ(G)| H imbedded in G; G regular and connected; diam(G) > d; deg(G) > d}, then λ(H) ? 2 ≤ k_R(H) ≤ λ(H) with these bounds being the best possible. Given a graph H, there exist arbitrarily large families of isospectral graphs such that H can be imbedded in each member of the family.