Partitioning infinite trees

A graph G is bisectable if its edges can be colored by two colors so that the resulting monochromatic subgraphs are isomorphic. We show that any infinite tree of maximum degree Δ with infinitely many vertices of degree at least Δ −1 is bisectable as is any infinite tree of maximum degree Δ ≤ 4. Further, it is proved that every infinite tree T of finite maximum degree contains a finite subset E of its edges so that the graph T − E is bisectable. To measure how “far” a graph G is from being bisectable, we define c(G) to be the smallest number k > 1 so that there is a coloring of the edges of G by k colors with the property that any two monochromatic subgraphs are isomorphic. An upper bound on c(G), which is in a sense best possible, is presented. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 34: 113–127, 2000     

Graphs satisfying inequality θ(G)θ(G)

In this paper, we study the edge clique cover number of squares of graphs. More specifically, we study the inequality θ(G²)θ(G) where θ(G) is the edge clique cover number of a graph G. We show that any graph G with at most θ(G) vertices satisfies the inequality. Among the graphs with more than θ(G) vertices, we find some graphs violating the inequality and show that dually chordal graphs and power-chordal graphs satisfy the inequality. Especially, we give an exact formula computing θ(T²) for a tree T.     

Boxicity of Leaf Powers

The boxicity of a graph G, denoted as boxi(G), is defined as the minimum integer t such that G is an intersection graph of axis-parallel t-dimensional boxes. A graph G is a k-leaf power if there exists a tree T such that the leaves of the tree correspond to the vertices of G and two vertices in G are adjacent if and only if their corresponding leaves in T are at a distance of at most k. Leaf powers are used in the construction of phylogenetic trees in evolutionary biology and have been studied in many recent papers. We show that for a k-leaf power G, boxi(G)??? k?1. We also show the tightness of this bound by constructing a k-leaf power with boxicity equal to k?1. This result implies that there exist strongly chordal graphs with arbitrarily high boxicity which is somewhat counterintuitive.     

A note on a spanning 3-tree

A tree T is called a k-tree, if the maximum degree of T is at most k. In this paper, we prove that if G is an n-connected graph with independence number at most n + m + 1 (n≥1,n≥m≥0), then G has a spanning 3-tree T with at most m vertices of degree 3.     

Induced trees in graphs of large chromatic number

Gyárfás and Sumner independently conjectured that for every tree T and integer k there is an integer f(k, T) such that every graph G with χ(G) > f(k, t) contains either K_k or an induced copy of T. We prove a ‘topological’ version of the conjecture: for every tree T and integer k there is g(k,T) such that every graph G with χ(G) > g(k,t) contains either K_k or an induced copy of a subdivision of T. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Sparse universal graphs for bounded‐degree graphs

Let ℋ︁ be a family of graphs. A graph T is ℋ︁‐universal if it contains a copy of each H ∈ℋ︁ as a subgraph. Let ℋ︁(k,n) denote the family of graphs on n vertices with maximum degree at most k. For all positive integers k and n, we construct an ℋ︁(k,n)‐universal graph T with edges and exactly n vertices. The number of edges is almost as small as possible, as Ω(n^2‐2/k) is a lower bound for the number of edges in any such graph. The construction of T is explicit, whereas the proof of universality is probabilistic and is based on a novel graph decomposition result and on the properties of random walks on expanders. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2007     

Exotic n-universal graphs

An n-universal graph is a graph that contains as an induced subgraph a copy of every graph on n vertices. It is shown that for each positive integer n > 1 there exists an n-universal graph G on 4ⁿ - 1 vertices such that G is a (v, k, λ)-graph, and both G and its complement G¯ are 1-transitive in the sense of W. T. Tutte and are of diameter 2. The automorphism group of G is a transitive rank 3 permutation group, i.e., it acts transitively on (1) the vertices of G, (2) the ordered pairs uv of adjacent vertices of G, and (3) the ordered pairs xy of nonadjacent vertices of G.     

Packing two copies of a tree into its third power

A graph H of order n is said to be k-placeable into a graph G of order n, if G contains k edge-disjoint copies of H. It is well known that any non-star tree T of order n is 2-placeable into the complete graph K_n. In the paper by Kheddouci et al. [Packing two copies of a tree into its fourth power, Discrete Math. 213 (2000) 169-178], it is proved that any non-star tree T is 2-placeable into T⁴. In this paper, we prove that any non-star tree T is 2-placeable into T³.     

The size Ramsey number of trees with bounded degree

The size Ramsey number r?(G, H) of graphs G and H is the smallest integer r? such that there is a graph F with r? edges and if the edge set of F is red-blue colored, there exists either a red copy of G or a blue copy of H in F. This article shows that r?(T_nd, T_nd) ? c · d² · n and c · n³ ? r?(K_n, T_nd) ? c(d)·n³ log n for every tree T_nd on n vertices. and maximal degree at most d and a complete graph K_n on n vertices. A generalization will be given. Probabilistic method is used throught this paper. © 1993 John Wiley Sons, Inc.     

Embedding nearly-spanning bounded degree trees

We derive a sufficient condition for a sparse graph G on n vertices to contain a copy of a tree T of maximum degree at most d on (1 − ε)n vertices, in terms of the expansion properties of G. As a result we show that for fixed d ≥ 2 and 0 < ε < 1, there exists a constant c = c(d, ε) such that a random graph G(n, c/n) contains almost surely a copy of every tree T on (1 − ε)n vertices with maximum degree at most d. We also prove that if an (n, D, λ)-graph G (i.e., a D-regular graph on n vertices all of whose eigenvalues, except the first one, are at most λ in their absolute values) has large enough spectral gap D/λ as a function of d and ε, then G has a copy of every tree T as above. Research supported in part by a USA-Israeli BSF grant, by NSF grant CCR-0324906, by a Wolfensohn fund and by the State of New Jersey. Research supported in part by USA-Israel BSF Grant 2002-133, and by grants 64/01 and 526/05 from the Israel Science Foundation. Research supported in part by NSF CAREER award DMS-0546523, NSF grant DMS-0355497, USA-Israeli BSF grant, and by an Alfred P. Sloan fellowship.     

On the Loebl–Komlós–Sós conjecture

The Loebl–Komlós–Sós conjecture says that any graph G on n vertices with at least half of vertices of degree at least k contains each tree of size k. We prove that the conjecture is true for paths as well as for large values of k(k ≥ n − 3). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 34: 269–276, 2000     

Packing in regular graphs

A set S of vertices in a graph G is a packing if the vertices in S are pairwise at distance at least 3 apart in G. The packing number of G, denoted by ρ(G), is the maximum cardinality of a packing in G. Favaron [Discrete Math. 158 (1996), 287–293] showed that if G is a connected cubic graph of order n different from the Petersen graph, then ρ(G) ≥ n/8. In this paper, we generalize Favaron’s result. We show that for k ≥ 3, if G is a connected k-regular graph of order n that is not a diameter-2 Moore graph, then ρ(G) ≥ n/(k² ? 1).     

The Erdős–Pósa Property for Odd Cycles in Graphs of Large Connectivity

Dedicated to the memory of Paul Erdős A graph G is k-linked if G has at least 2k vertices, and, for any vertices , , ..., , , , ..., , G contains k pairwise disjoint paths such that joins for i = 1, 2, ..., k. We say that G is k-parity-linked if G is k-linked and, in addition, the paths can be chosen such that the parities of their lengths are prescribed. We prove the existence of a function g(k) such that every g(k)-connected graph is k-parity-linked if the deletion of any set of less than 4k-3 vertices leaves a nonbipartite graph. As a consequence, we obtain a result of Erdős–Pósa type for odd cycles in graphs of large connectivity. Also, every -connected graph contains a totally odd -subdivision, that is, a subdivision of in which each edge of corresponds to an odd path, if and only if the deletion of any vertex leaves a nonbipartite graph. Received May 13, 1999/Revised June 19, 2000     

Spanning Connectivity of the Power of a Graph and Hamilton-Connected Index of a Graph

Let G = (V, E) be a connected graph. The hamiltonian index h(G) (Hamilton-connected index hc(G)) of G is the least nonnegative integer k for which the iterated line graph L ^k (G) is hamiltonian (Hamilton-connected). In this paper we show the following. (a) If |V(G)| ≥ k + 1 ≥ 4, then in G ^k , for any pair of distinct vertices {u, v}, there exists k internally disjoint (u, v)-paths that contains all vertices of G; (b) for a tree T,  h(T) ≤ hc(T) ≤ h(T) + 1, and for a unicyclic graph G,  h(G) ≤ hc(G) ≤ max{h(G) + 1, k′ + 1}, where k′ is the length of a longest path with all vertices on the cycle such that the two ends of it are of degree at least 3 and all internal vertices are of degree 2; (c) we also characterize the trees and unicyclic graphs G for which hc(G) = h(G) + 1.     

Claw‐decompositions and tutte‐orientations

We conjecture that, for each tree T, there exists a natural number k_T such that the following holds: If G is a k_T‐edge‐connected graph such that |E(T)| divides |E(G)|, then the edges of G can be divided into parts, each of which is isomorphic to T. We prove that for T = K_1,3 (the claw), this holds if and only if there exists a (smallest) natural number k_t such that every k_t‐edge‐connected graph has an orientation for which the indegree of each vertex equals its outdegree modulo 3. Tutte's 3‐flow conjecture says that k_t = 4. We prove the weaker statement that every 4$\lceil$ log n$\rceil$ ‐edge‐connected graph with n vertices has an edge‐decomposition into claws provided its number of edges is divisible by 3. We also prove that every triangulation of a surface has an edge‐decomposition into claws. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 52: 135–146, 2006     

A k-Tree Containing Specified Vertices

A k-tree is a tree with maximum degree at most k. In this paper, we give sufficient conditions for a graph to have a k-tree containing specified vertices. Let k be an integer with k > 3. Let G be a graph of order n and let ${S \subseteq V(G)}A k-tree is a tree with maximum degree at most k. In this paper, we give sufficient conditions for a graph to have a k-tree containing specified vertices. Let k be an integer with k > 3. Let G be a graph of order n and let S í V(G){S \subseteq V(G)} with κ(S) ≥ 1. Suppose that for every l > κ(S), there exists an integer t such that 1 ￡ t ￡ (k-1)l+2 - ?\fracl-1k ?{1 \le t \leq (k-1)l+2 - \lfloor \frac{l-1}{k} \rfloor} and the degree sum of any t independent vertices of S is at least n + tl − kl − 1. Then G has a k-tree containing S. We also show some new results on a spanning k-tree as corollaries of the above theorem.     

A note on constructive methods for ramsey numbers

Let r(k) denote the least integer n-such that for any graph G on n vertices either G or its complement G contains a complete graph K_k on k vertices. in this paper, we prove the following lower bound for the Ramsey number r(k) by explicit construction: r(k) ≥ exp (c(Log k)^4/3[(log log k)^1/3] for some constant c> 0.     

Odd‐angulated graphs and cancelling factors in box products

Under what conditions is it true that if there is a graph homomorphism G □ H → G □ T, then there is a graph homomorphism H→ T? Let G be a connected graph of odd girth 2k + 1. We say that G is (2k + 1)‐angulated if every two vertices of G are joined by a path each of whose edges lies on some (2k + 1)‐cycle. We call G strongly (2k + 1)‐angulated if every two vertices are connected by a sequence of (2k + 1)‐cycles with consecutive cycles sharing at least one edge. We prove that if G is strongly (2k + 1)‐angulated, H is any graph, S, T are graphs with odd girth at least 2k + 1, and ?: G□ H→S□T is a graph homomorphism, then either ? maps G□{h} to S□{t_h} for all h∈V(H) where t_h∈V(T) depends on h; or ? maps G□{h} to {s_h}□ T for all h∈V(H) where s_h∈V(S) depends on h. This theorem allows us to prove several sufficient conditions for a cancelation law of a graph homomorphism between two box products with a common factor. We conclude the article with some open questions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 58:221‐238, 2008     

Cycle and cocycle coverings of graphs

In this article, we show that for any simple, bridgeless graph G on n vertices, there is a family ?? of at most n?1 cycles which cover the edges of G at least twice. A similar, dual result is also proven for cocycles namely: for any loopless graph G on n vertices and ε edges having cogirth g^*?3 and k(G) components, there is a family of at most ε?n+k(G) cocycles which cover the edges of G at least twice. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 65: 270–284, 2010     

The number of spanning trees in regular graphs

Let C(G) denote the number of spanning trees of a graph G. It is shown that there is a function ?(k) that tends to zero as k tends to infinity such that for every connected, k-regular simple graph G on n vertices C(G) = {k[1 ? δ(G)]}ⁿ. where 0 ≤ δ(G) ≤ ?(k).