Packing chromatic number versus chromatic and clique number

The packing chromatic number \(\chi _{\rho }(G)\) of a graph G is the smallest integer k such that the vertex set of G can be partitioned into sets \(V_i\), \(i\in [k]\), where each \(V_i\) is an i-packing. In this paper, we investigate for a given triple (a, b, c) of positive integers whether there exists a graph G such that \(\omega (G) = a\), \(\chi (G) = b\), and \(\chi _{\rho }(G) = c\). If so, we say that (a, b, c) is realizable. It is proved that \(b=c\ge 3\) implies \(a=b\), and that triples \((2,k,k+1)\) and \((2,k,k+2)\) are not realizable as soon as \(k\ge 4\). Some of the obtained results are deduced from the bounds proved on the packing chromatic number of the Mycielskian. Moreover, a formula for the independence number of the Mycielskian is given. A lower bound on \(\chi _{\rho }(G)\) in terms of \(\Delta (G)\) and \(\alpha (G)\) is also proved.     

Edge‐face chromatic number and edge chromatic number of simple plane graphs

Given a simple plane graph G, an edge‐face k‐coloring of G is a function ? : E(G) ∪ F(G) → {1,…,k} such that, for any two adjacent or incident elements a, b ∈ E(G) ∪ F(G), ?(a) ≠ ?(b). Let χ_e(G), χ_ef(G), and Δ(G) denote the edge chromatic number, the edge‐face chromatic number, and the maximum degree of G, respectively. In this paper, we prove that χ_ef(G) = χ_e(G) = Δ(G) for any 2‐connected simple plane graph G with Δ (G) ≥ 24. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

Note on Choudum's “chromatic bounds for a class of graphs”

If a graph G has no induced subgraph isomorphic to K_1,3′ K₅-e, or a third graph that can be selected from two specific graphs, then the chromatic number of G is either d or d + 1, where d is the maximum order of a clique in G.     

Kneser's conjecture,chromatic number,and homotopy

If the simplicial complex formed by the neighborhoods of points of a graph is (k ? 2)-connected then the graph is not k-colorable. As a corollary Kneser's conjecture is proved, asserting that if all n-subsets of a (2n ? k)-element set are divided into k + 1 classes, one of the classes contains two disjoint n-subsets.     

Finite fields and the 1‐chromatic number of orientable surfaces

The 1‐chromatic number χ₁(S_p) of the orientable surface S_p of genus p is the maximum chromatic number of all graphs which can be drawn on the surface so that each edge is crossed by no more than one other edge. We show that if there exists a finite field of order 4m+1, m≥3, then 8m+2≤χ₁(S)≤8m+3, where 8m+3 is Ringel's upper bound on χ₁(S). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 63: 179–184, 2010     

Size,chromatic number,and connectivity

We consider the minimum number of edges in ak-edge-connected graph of ordern with chromatic number at leastc, obtaining the optimal bounds in most cases.     

The 3‐connectivity of a graph and the multiplicity of zero “2” of its chromatic polynomial

Let G be a graph of order n, maximum degree Δ, and minimum degree δ. Let P(G, λ) be the chromatic polynomial of G. It is known that the multiplicity of zero “0” of P(G, λ) is one if G is connected, and the multiplicity of zero “1” of P(G, λ) is one if G is 2‐connected. Is the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) at most one if G is 3‐connected? In this article, we first construct an infinite family of 3‐connected graphs G such that the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is more than one, and then characterize 3‐connected graphs G with Δ + δ?n such that the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is at most one. In particular, we show that for a 3‐connected graph G, if Δ + δ?n and (Δ, δ₃)≠(n?3, 3), where δ₃ is the third minimum degree of G, then the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is at most one. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

Circumference, chromatic number and online coloring

Erd?s conjectured that if G is a triangle free graph of chromatic number at least k≥3, then it contains an odd cycle of length at least k ^2?o(1) [13,15]. Nothing better than a linear bound ([3], Problem 5.1.55 in [16]) was so far known. We make progress on this conjecture by showing that G contains an odd cycle of length at least Ω(k log logk). Erd?s’ conjecture is known to hold for graphs with girth at least five. We show that if a graph with girth four is C ₅ free, then Erd?s’ conjecture holds. When the number of vertices is not too large we can prove better bounds on χ. We also give bounds on the chromatic number of graphs with at most r cycles of length 1 mod k, or at most s cycles of length 2 mod k, or no cycles of length 3 mod k. Our techniques essentially consist of using a depth first search tree to decompose the graph into ordered paths, which are then fed to an online coloring algorithm. Using this technique we give simple proofs of some old results, and also obtain several other results. We also obtain a lower bound on the number of colors which an online coloring algorithm needs to use to color triangle free graphs.     

Rank, term rank, and chromatic number

Let G be a graph with a nonempty edge set, and with rank rk(G), term rank Rk(G), and chromatic number χ(G). We characterize Rk(G) as being the maximum number of colors in certain proper colorings of G. In particular, we observe that χ(G)Rk(G), with equality holding if and only if (besides isolated vertices) G is either complete or a star. For a twin-free graph G, we observe the bound and we show that this bound is sharp.     

On the chromatic number of a random 5‐regular graph

It was only recently shown by Shi and Wormald, using the differential equation method to analyze an appropriate algorithm, that a random 5‐regular graph asymptotically almost surely has chromatic number at most 4. Here, we show that the chromatic number of a random 5‐regular graph is asymptotically almost surely equal to 3, provided a certain four‐variable function has a unique maximum at a given point in a bounded domain. We also describe extensive numerical evidence that strongly suggests that the latter condition holds. The proof applies the small subgraph conditioning method to the number of locally rainbow balanced 3‐colorings, where a coloring is balanced if the number of vertices of each color is equal, and locally rainbow if every vertex is adjacent to at least one vertex of each of the other colors. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 61: 157–191, 2009     

Star chromatic number

A generalization of the chromatic number of a graph is introduced such that the colors are integers modulo n, and the colors on adjacent vertices are required to be as far apart as possible.     

Non-recursive functions,knots “with thick ropes,” and self-clenching “thick” hyperspheres

We introduce an approach to certain geometric variational problems based on the use of the algorithmic unrecognizability of the n-dimensional sphere for n ≥ 5. Sometimes this approach allows one to prove the existence of infinitely many solutions of a considered variational problem. This recursion-theoretic approach is applied in this paper to a class of functionals on the space of C^1.1-smooth hypersurfaces diffeomorphic to Sⁿ in Rⁿ⁺¹, where n is any fixed number ≥ 5. The simplest of these functionals k_v is defined by the formula k_v(Σⁿ) = (vol(Σⁿ))^1/n/r(Σⁿ), where r(Σⁿ) denotes the radius of injectivity of the normal exponential map for Σⁿ ? Rⁿ+l. We prove the existence of an infinite set of distinct locally minimal values of k_v on the space of C^1.1-smooth topological hyperspheres in Rⁿ⁺¹ for any n ≥ 5. The functional k_v naturally arises when one attempts to generalize knot theory in order to deal with embeddings and isotopies of “thick” circles and, more generally, “thick” spheres into Euclidean spaces. We introduce the notion of knot “with thick rope” types. The theory of knot “with thick rope” types turns out to be quite different from the classical knot theory because of the following result: There exists an infinite set of non-trivial knot “with thick rope” types in codimension one for every dimension greater than or equal to five.     

Assignment games,chromatic number,and exchange theory

The exchange networks that social psychologists have studied can usefully be represented as game theoretic 2‐sided assignment games. Conceiving of these networks as 2‐sided assignment games opens up the possibility of studying N‐sided assignment games and games without cores. 2‐sided assignment games are special in that they always have cores, stable solutions in which every individual and subgroup behave rationally.

The implicit assignment of positions to categories of an N‐sided assignment game is related to coloring a graph. The color classes form sets of positions with potentially related interests. Color equivalence is compared to structural, regular, automorphic, and ecological positional equivalence.     

Subgraphs of large connectivity and chromatic number in graphs of large chromatic number

For each pair k, m of natural numbers there exists a natural number f(k, m) such that every f(k, m)-chromatic graph contains a k-connected subgraph of chromatic number at least m.     

Fractional chromatic number and circular chromatic number for distance graphs with large clique size

An Erratum has been published for this article in Journal of Graph Theory 48: 329–330, 2005 . Let M be a set of positive integers. The distance graph generated by M, denoted by G(Z, M), has the set Z of all integers as the vertex set, and edges ij whenever |i?j| ∈ M. We investigate the fractional chromatic number and the circular chromatic number for distance graphs, and discuss their close connections with some number theory problems. In particular, we determine the fractional chromatic number and the circular chromatic number for all distance graphs G(Z, M) with clique size at least |M|, except for one case of such graphs. For the exceptional case, a lower bound for the fractional chromatic number and an upper bound for the circular chromatic number are presented; these bounds are sharp enough to determine the chromatic number for such graphs. Our results confirm a conjecture of Rabinowitz and Proulx 22 on the density of integral sets with missing differences, and generalize some known results on the circular chromatic number of distance graphs and the parameter involved in the Wills' conjecture 26 (also known as the “lonely runner conjecture” 1 ). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 47: 129–146, 2004     

Independence,irredundance, degrees and chromatic number in graphs

Let β(G) and IR(G) denote the independence number and the upper irredundance number of a graph G. We prove that in any graph of order n, minimum degree δ and maximum degree Δ≠0, IR(G)⩽n/(1+δ/Δ) and IR(G)−β(G)⩽((Δ−2)/2Δ)n. The two bounds are attained by arbitrarily large graphs. The second one proves a conjecture by Rautenbach related to the case Δ=3. When the chromatic number χ of G is less than Δ, it can be improved to IR(G)−β(G)⩽((χ−2)/2χ)n in any non-empty graph of order n⩾2.     

Inequalities for the first‐fit chromatic number

The First‐Fit (or Grundy) chromatic number of G, written as χ_FF(G), is defined as the maximum number of classes in an ordered partition of V(G) into independent sets so that each vertex has a neighbor in each set earlier than its own. The well‐known Nordhaus‐‐Gaddum inequality states that the sum of the ordinary chromatic numbers of an n‐vertex graph and its complement is at most n + 1. Zaker suggested finding the analogous inequality for the First‐Fit chromatic number. We show for n ≥ 10 that ?(5n + 2)/4? is an upper bound, and this is sharp. We extend the problem for multicolorings as well and prove asymptotic results for infinitely many cases. We also show that the smallest order of C₄‐free bipartite graphs with χ_FF(G) = k is asymptotically 2k² (the upper bound answers a problem of Zaker [9]). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 59: 75–88, 2008     

On directed local chromatic number,shift graphs,and Borsuk‐like graphs

We investigate the local chromatic number of shift graphs and prove that it is close to their chromatic number. This implies that the gap between the directed local chromatic number of an oriented graph and the local chromatic number of the underlying undirected graph can be arbitrarily large. We also investigate the minimum possible directed local chromatic number of oriented versions of “topologically t‐chromatic” graphs. We show that this minimum for large enough t‐chromatic Schrijver graphs and t‐chromatic generalized Mycielski graphs of appropriate parameters is ?t/4?+1. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 66: 65‐82, 2010