Enumeration of perfect matchings of graphs with reflective symmetry by Pfaffians

The Pfaffian method enumerating perfect matchings of plane graphs was discovered by Kasteleyn. We use this method to enumerate perfect matchings in a type of graphs with reflective symmetry which is different from the symmetric graphs considered in [J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 77 (1997) 67, MATCH—Commun. Math. Comput. Chem. 48 (2003) 117]. Here are some of our results: (1) If G is a reflective symmetric plane graph without vertices on the symmetry axis, then the number of perfect matchings of G can be expressed by a determinant of order |G|/2, where |G| denotes the number of vertices of G. (2) If G contains no subgraph which is, after the contraction of at most one cycle of odd length, an even subdivision of K_2,3, then the number of perfect matchings of G×K₂ can be expressed by a determinant of order |G|. (3) Let G be a bipartite graph without cycles of length 4s, s{1,2,…}. Then the number of perfect matchings of G×K₂ equals ∏(1+θ²)^m_θ, where the product ranges over all non-negative eigenvalues θ of G and m_θ is the multiplicity of eigenvalue θ. Particularly, if T is a tree then the number of perfect matchings of T×K₂ equals ∏(1+θ²)^m_θ, where the product ranges over all non-negative eigenvalues θ of T and m_θ is the multiplicity of eigenvalue θ.     

Clique‐inverse graphs of K3‐free and K4‐free graphs

The clique graph K(G) of a given graph G is the intersection graph of the collection of maximal cliques of G. Given a family ℱ of graphs, the clique‐inverse graphs of ℱ are the graphs whose clique graphs belong to ℱ. In this work, we describe characterizations for clique‐inverse graphs of K₃‐free and K₄‐free graphs. The characterizations are formulated in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 35: 257–272, 2000     

Contractible subgraphs in k‐connected graphs

For a graph G we define a graph T(G) whose vertices are the triangles in G and two vertices of T(G) are adjacent if their corresponding triangles in G share an edge. Kawarabayashi showed that if G is a k‐connected graph and T(G) contains no edge, then G admits a k‐contractible clique of size at most 3, generalizing an earlier result of Thomassen. In this paper, we further generalize Kawarabayashi's result by showing that if G is k‐connected and the maximum degree of T(G) is at most 1, then G admits a k‐contractible clique of size at most 3 or there exist independent edges e and f of G such that e and f are contained in triangles sharing an edge and G/e/f is k‐connected. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 55: 121–136, 2007     

On αrγs(k)-perfect graphs

For some integer k0 and two graph parameters π and τ, a graph G is called πτ(k)-perfect, if π(H)−τ(H)k for every induced subgraph H of G. For r1 let α_r and γ_r denote the r-(distance)-independence and r-(distance)-domination number, respectively. In (J. Graph Theory 32 (1999) 303–310), I. Zverovich gave an ingenious complete characterization of α₁γ₁(k)-perfect graphs in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs. In this paper we study α_rγ_s(k)-perfect graphs for r,s1. We prove several properties of minimal α_rγ_s(k)-imperfect graphs. Generalizing Zverovich's main result in (J. Graph Theory 32 (1999) 303–310), we completely characterize α_2r−1γ_r(k)-perfect graphs for r1. Furthermore, we characterize claw-free α₂γ₂(k)-perfect graphs.     

Outerplanar and Planar Oriented Cliques

The clique number of an undirected graph G is the maximum order of a complete subgraph of G and is a well‐known lower bound for the chromatic number of G. Every proper k‐coloring of G may be viewed as a homomorphism (an edge‐preserving vertex mapping) of G to the complete graph of order k. By considering homomorphisms of oriented graphs (digraphs without cycles of length at most 2), we get a natural notion of (oriented) colorings and oriented chromatic number of oriented graphs. An oriented clique is then an oriented graph whose number of vertices and oriented chromatic number coincide. However, the structure of oriented cliques is much less understood than in the undirected case. In this article, we study the structure of outerplanar and planar oriented cliques. We first provide a list of 11 graphs and prove that an outerplanar graph can be oriented as an oriented clique if and only if it contains one of these graphs as a spanning subgraph. Klostermeyer and MacGillivray conjectured that the order of a planar oriented clique is at most 15, which was later proved by Sen. We show that any planar oriented clique on 15 vertices must contain a particular oriented graph as a spanning subgraph, thus reproving the above conjecture. We also provide tight upper bounds for the order of planar oriented cliques of girth k for all .     

Signed 2-independence in graphs

A function f : V→{−1,1} defined on the vertices of a graph G=(V,E) is a signed 2-independence function if the sum of its function values over any closed neighbourhood is at most one. That is, for every vV, f(N[v])1, where N[v] consists of v and every vertex adjacent to v. The weight of a signed 2-independence function is f(V)=∑f(v), over all vertices vV. The signed 2-independence number of a graph G, denoted α_s²(G), equals the maximum weight of a signed 2-independence function of G. In this paper, we establish upper bounds for α_s²(G) in terms of the order and size of the graph, and we characterize the graphs attaining these bounds. For a tree T, upper and lower bounds for α_s²(T) are established and the extremal graphs characterized. It is shown that α_s²(G) can be arbitrarily large negative even for a cubic graph G.     

Can visibility graphs Be represented compactly?

We consider the problem of representing the visibility graph of line segments as a union of cliques and bipartite cliques. Given a graphG, a familyG={G ₁,G ₂,...,G _k } is called aclique cover ofG if (i) eachG _i is a clique or a bipartite clique, and (ii) the union ofG _i isG. The size of the clique coverG is defined as ∑ _i=1 ^k n _i , wheren _i is the number of vertices inG _i . Our main result is that there are visibility graphs ofn nonintersecting line segments in the plane whose smallest clique cover has size Ω(n ²/log² n). An upper bound ofO(n ²/logn) on the clique cover follows from a well-known result in extremal graph theory. On the other hand, we show that the visibility graph of a simple polygon always admits a clique cover of sizeO(nlog³ n), and that there are simple polygons whose visibility graphs require a clique cover of size Ω(n logn). The work by the first author was supported by National Science Foundation Grant CCR-91-06514. The work by the second author was supported by a USA-Israeli BSF grant. The work by the third author was supported by National Science Foundation Grant CCR-92-11541.     

Continuity in G

For a discrete group G, we consider βG, the Stone– ech compactification of G, as a right topological semigroup, and G^*=βGG as a subsemigroup of βG. We study the mappings λ_p^* :G^*→G^*and μ^* :G^*→G^*, the restrictions to G^* of the mappings λ_p :βG→βG and μ :βG→βG, defined by the rules λ_p(q)=pq, μ(q)=qq. Under some assumptions, we prove that the continuity of λ_p^* or μ^* at some point of G^* implies the existence of a P-point in ω^*.     

Connected subgraphs with small degree sums in 3‐connected planar graphs

It is well‐known that every planar graph has a vertex of degree at most five. Kotzig proved that every 3‐connected planar graph has an edge xy such that deg(x) + deg (y) ≤ 13. In this article, considering a similar problem for the case of three or more vertices that induce a connected subgraph, we show that, for a given positive integer t, every 3‐connected planar graph G with |V(G)| ≥ t has a connected subgraph H of order t such that Σ_x∈V(H) deg_G(x) ≤ 8t − 1. As a tool for proving this result, we consider decompositions of 3‐connected planar graphs into connected subgraphs of order at least t and at most 2t − 1. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 30: 191–203, 1999     

Packing triangles in a graph and its complement

How few edge‐disjoint triangles can there be in a graph G on n vertices and in its complement ? This question was posed by P. Erd?s, who noticed that if G is a disjoint union of two complete graphs of order n/2 then this number is n²/12 + o(n²). Erd?s conjectured that any other graph with n vertices together with its complement should also contain at least that many edge‐disjoint triangles. In this paper, we show how to use a fractional relaxation of the above problem to prove that for every graph G of order n, the total number of edge‐disjoint triangles contained in G and is at least n²/13 for all sufficiently large n. This bound improves some earlier results. We discuss a few related questions as well. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 47: 203–216, 2004     

Some 3‐connected 4‐edge‐critical non‐Hamiltonian graphs

Let γ(G) be the domination number of graph G, thus a graph G is k‐edge‐critical if γ (G) = k, and for every nonadjacent pair of vertices u and υ, γ(G + uυ) = k?1. In Chapter 16 of the book “Domination in Graphs—Advanced Topics,” D. Sumner cites a conjecture of E. Wojcicka under the form “3‐connected 4‐critical graphs are Hamiltonian and perhaps, in general (i.e., for any k ≥ 4), (k?1)‐connected, k‐edge‐critical graphs are Hamiltonian.” In this paper, we prove that the conjecture is not true for k = 4 by constructing a class of 3‐connected 4‐edge‐critical non‐Hamiltonian graphs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Augmenting Edge-Connectivity over the Entire Range inÕ(nm) Time

For a given undirected graphG = (V, E, c_G) with edges weighted by nonnegative realsc_G:E → R ⁺ , let Λ_G(k) stand for the minimum amount of weights which needs to be added to makeG k-edge-connected, and letG*(k) be the resulting graph obtained fromG. This paper first shows that function Λ_Gover the entire rangek [0, +∞] can be computed inO(nm + n² log n) time, and then shows that allG*(k) in the entire range can be obtained fromO(n log n) weighted cycles, and such cycles can be computed inO(nm + n² log n) time, wherenandmare the numbers of vertices and edges, respectively.     

Sufficient conditions for graphs to be λ′‐optimal,super‐edge‐connected,and maximally edge‐connected

The restricted‐edge‐connectivity of a graph G, denoted by λ′(G), is defined as the minimum cardinality over all edge‐cuts S of G, where G‐S contains no isolated vertices. The graph G is called λ′‐optimal, if λ′(G) = ξ(G), where ξ(G) is the minimum edge‐degree in G. A graph is super‐edge‐connected, if every minimum edge‐cut consists of edges adjacent to a vertex of minimum degree. In this paper, we present sufficient conditions for arbitrary, triangle‐free, and bipartite graphs to be λ′‐optimal, as well as conditions depending on the clique number. These conditions imply super‐edge‐connectivity, if δ (G) ≥ 3, and the equality of edge‐connectivity and minimum degree. Different examples will show that these conditions are best possible and independent of other results in this area. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 48: 228–246, 2005     

Sphericity, cubicity, and edge clique covers of graphs

The sphericity sph(G) of a graph G is the minimum dimension d for which G is the intersection graph of a family of congruent spheres in R^d. The edge clique cover number θ(G) is the minimum cardinality of a set of cliques (complete subgraphs) that covers all edges of G. We prove that if G has at least one edge, then sph(G)?θ(G). Our upper bound remains valid for intersection graphs defined by balls in the L_p-norm for 1?p?∞.     

Iterated clique graphs with increasing diameters

A simple argument by Hedman shows that the diameter of a clique graph G differs by at most one from that of K(G), its clique graph. Hedman described examples of a graph G such that diam(K(G)) = diam(G) + 1 and asked in general about the existence of graphs such that diam(Kⁱ(G)) = diam(G) + i. Examples satisfying this equality for i = 2 have been described by Peyrat, Rall, and Slater and independently by Balakrishnan and Paulraja. The authors of the former work also solved the case i = 3 and i = 4 and conjectured that such graphs exist for every positive integer i. The cases i ≥ 5 remained open. In the present article, we prove their conjecture. For each positive integer i, we describe a family of graphs G such that diam(Kⁱ(G)) = diam(G) + i. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Graph Theory 28: 147–154, 1998     

Preemptive Scheduling of Equal-Length Jobs in Polynomial Time

In this paper we consider the k-fixed-endpoint path cover problem on proper interval graphs, which is a generalization of the path cover problem. Given a graph G and a set T of k vertices, a k-fixed-endpoint path cover of G with respect to T is a set of vertex-disjoint simple paths that covers the vertices of G, such that the vertices of T are all endpoints of these paths. The goal is to compute a k-fixed-endpoint path cover of G with minimum cardinality. We propose an optimal algorithm for this problem with runtime O(n), where n is the number of intervals in G. This algorithm is based on the Stair Normal Interval Representation (SNIR) matrix that characterizes proper interval graphs. In this characterization, every maximal clique of the graph is represented by one matrix element; the proposed algorithm uses this structural property, in order to determine directly the paths in an optimal solution.     

Average distance,minimum degree,and spanning trees

The average distance μ(G) of a connected graph G of order n is the average of the distances between all pairs of vertices of G, i.e., μ(G) = ()⁻¹ Σ_{x,y}⊂V(G) d_G(x, y), where V(G) denotes the vertex set of G and d_G(x, y) is the distance between x and y. We prove that every connected graph of order n and minimum degree δ has a spanning tree T with average distance at most . We give improved bounds for K₃‐free graphs, C₄‐free graphs, and for graphs of given girth. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 33: 1–13, 2000     

Acyclic graphoidal covers and path partitions in a graph

An acyclic graphoidal cover of a graph G is a collection ψ of paths in G such that every path in ψ has at least two vertices, every vertex of G is an internal vertex of at most one path in ψ and every edge of G is in exactly one path in ψ. The minimum cardinality of an acyclic graphoidal cover of G is called the acyclic graphoidal covering number of G and is denoted by η_a. A path partition of a graph G is a collection P of paths in G such that every edge of G is in exactly one path in P. The minimum cardinality of a path partition of G is called thepath partition number of G and is denoted by π. In this paper we determine η_a and π for several classes of graphs and obtain a characterization of all graphs with Δ 4 and η_a = Δ − 1. We also obtain a characterization of all graphs for which η_a = π.     

On constructible graphs,locally Helly graphs,and convexity

A (finite or infinite) graph G is constructible if there exists a well‐ordering ≤ of its vertices such that for every vertex x which is not the smallest element, there is a vertex y < x which is adjacent to x and to every neighbor z of x with z < x. Particular constructible graphs are Helly graphs and connected bridged graphs. In this paper we study a new class of constructible graphs, the class of locally Helly graphs. A graph G is locally Helly if, for every pair (x,y) of vertices of G whose distance is d ≥ 2, there exists a vertex whose distance to x is d ? 1 and which is adjacent to y and to all neighbors of y whose distance to x is at most d. Helly graphs are locally Helly, and the converse holds for finite graphs. Among different properties we prove that a locally Helly graph is strongly dismantable, hence cop‐win, if and only if it contains no isometric rays. We show that a locally Helly graph G is finitely Helly, that is, every finite family of pairwise non‐disjoint balls of G has a non‐empty intersection. We give a sufficient condition by forbidden subgraphs so that the three concepts of Helly graphs, of locally Helly graphs and of finitely Helly graphs are equivalent. Finally, generalizing different results, in particular those of Bandelt and Chepoi 1 about Helly graphs and bridged graphs, we prove that the Helly number h(G) of the geodesic convexity in a constructible graph G is equal to its clique number ω(G), provided that ω(G) is finite. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 43: 280–298, 2003     

The vertex-cover polynomial of a graph

In this paper we define the vertex-cover polynomial Ψ(G,τ) for a graph G. The coefficient of τ^r in this polynomial is the number of vertex covers V′ of G with |V′|=r. We develop a method to calculate Ψ(G,τ). Motivated by a problem in biological systematics, we also consider the mappings f from {1, 2,…,m} into the vertex set V(G) of a graph G, subject to f⁻¹(x)f⁻¹(y)≠ for every edge xy in G. Let F(G,m) be the number of such mappings f. We show that F(G,m) can be determined from Ψ(G,τ).