An approximate Dirac-type theorem for k-uniform hypergraphs

A k-uniform hypergraph is hamiltonian if for some cyclic ordering of its vertex set, every k consecutive vertices form an edge. In 1952 Dirac proved that if the minimum degree in an n-vertex graph is at least n/2 then the graph is hamiltonian. We prove an approximate version of an analogous result for uniform hypergraphs: For every K ≥ 3 and γ > 0, and for all n large enough, a sufficient condition for an n-vertex k-uniform hypergraph to be hamiltonian is that each (k − 1)-element set of vertices is contained in at least (1/2 + γ)n edges. Research supported by NSF grant DMS-0300529. Research supported by KBN grant 2P03A 015 23 and N201036 32/2546. Part of research performed at Emory University, Atlanta. Research supported by NSF grant DMS-0100784.     

Perfect matchings in uniform hypergraphs with large minimum degree

A perfect matching in a k-uniform hypergraph on n vertices, n divisible by k, is a set of n/k disjoint edges. In this paper we give a sufficient condition for the existence of a perfect matching in terms of a variant of the minimum degree. We prove that for every k≥3 and sufficiently large n, a perfect matching exists in every n-vertex k-uniform hypergraph in which each set of k−1 vertices is contained in n/2+Ω(logn) edges. Owing to a construction in [D. Kühn, D. Osthus, Matchings in hypergraphs of large minimum degree, J. Graph Theory 51 (1) (2006) 269–280], this is nearly optimal. For almost perfect and fractional perfect matchings we show that analogous thresholds are close to n/k rather than n/2.     

Dominant dimensions,derived equivalences and tilting modules

We show that for every ? > 0 there exist δ > 0 and n₀ ∈ ? such that every 3-uniform hypergraph on n ≥ n₀ vertices with the property that every k-vertex subset, where k ≥ δn, induces at least \(\left( {\frac{1}{2} + \varepsilon } \right)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} k \\ 3 \\ \end{array} } \right)\) edges, contains K₄^? as a subgraph, where K₄^? is the 3-uniform hypergraph on 4 vertices with 3 edges. This question was originally raised by Erd?s and Sós. The constant 1/4 is the best possible.     

Total domination of graphs and small transversals of hypergraphs

The main result of this paper is that every 4-uniform hypergraph on n vertices and m edges has a transversal with no more than (5n + 4m)/21 vertices. In the particular case n = m, the transversal has at most 3n/7 vertices, and this bound is sharp in the complement of the Fano plane. Chvátal and McDiarmid [5] proved that every 3-uniform hypergraph with n vertices and edges has a transversal of size n/2. Two direct corollaries of these results are that every graph with minimal degree at least 3 has total domination number at most n/2 and every graph with minimal degree at least 4 has total domination number at most 3n/7. These two bounds are sharp.     

Monochromatic Matchings in the Shadow Graph of Almost Complete Hypergraphs

Edge colorings of r-uniform hypergraphs naturally define a multicoloring on the 2-shadow, i.e., on the pairs that are covered by hyperedges. We show that in any (r – 1)-coloring of the edges of an r-uniform hypergraph with n vertices and at least (1-e)( *20c nr)(1-\varepsilon)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} n\\ r\\ \end{array}}\right) edges, the 2-shadow has a monochromatic matching covering all but at most o(n) vertices. This result confirms an earlier conjecture and implies that for any fixed r and sufficiently large n, there is a monochromatic Berge-cycle of length (1 – o(1))n in every (r – 1)-coloring of the edges of K^(r)_n{K^{(r)}_{n}}, the complete r-uniform hypergraph on n vertices.     

The Turán Number Of The Fano Plane

  Let PG₂(2) be the Fano plane, i. e., the unique hypergraph with 7 triples on 7 vertices in which every pair of vertices is contained in a unique triple. In this paper we prove that for sufficiently large n, the maximum number of edges in a 3-uniform hypergraph on n vertices not containing a Fano plane is

On balanced colorings of hypergraphs

This paper deals with an extremal problem concerning hypergraph colorings. Let k be an integer. The problem is to find the value m _k (n) equal to the minimum number of edges in an n-uniform hypergraph not admitting two-colorings of the vertex set such that every edge of the hypergraph contains k vertices of each color. In this paper, we obtain the exact values of m ₂(5) and m ₂(4), and the upper bounds for m ₃(7) and m ₄(9).     

The Ramsey number for hypergraph cycles I

Let C_n denote the 3-uniform hypergraph loose cycle, that is the hypergraph with vertices v₁,…,v_n and edges v₁v₂v₃, v₃v₄v₅, v₅v₆v₇,…,v_n-1v_nv₁. We prove that every red-blue colouring of the edges of the complete 3-uniform hypergraph with N vertices contains a monochromatic copy of C_n, where N is asymptotically equal to 5n/4. Moreover this result is (asymptotically) best possible.     

Perfect fractional matchings in random hypergraphs

Given an r-uniform hypergraph H = (V, E) on |V| = n vertices, a real-valued function f:E→R⁺ is called a perfect fractional matching if Σ_vϵe f(e) ≤ 1 for all vϵV and Σ_eϵE f(e) = n/r. Considering a random r-uniform hypergraph process of n vertices, we show that with probability tending to 1 as n→ infinity, at the very moment t₀ when the last isolated vertex disappears, the hypergraph H_t0 has a perfect fractional matching. This result is clearly best possible. As a consequence, we derive that if p(n) = (ln n + w(n))/ , where w(n) is any function tending to infinity with n, then with probability tending to 1 a random r-uniform hypergraph on n vertices with edge probability p has a perfect fractional matching. Similar results hold also for random r-partite hypergraphs. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the Chromaticity of Multi-Bridge Hypergraphs

A multi-bridge hypergraph is an h-uniform linear hypergraph consisting of some linear paths having common extremities. In this paper it is proved that the multisets of path lengths of two chromatically equivalent multi-bridge hypergraphs are equal provided the multiplicities of path lengths are bounded above by 2 ^h-1 − 2. Also, it is shown that h-uniform linear cycles of length m are not chromatically unique for every m, h ≥ 3.     

k-ordered Hamiltonian graphs

A hamiltonian graph G of order n is k-ordered, 2 ≤ k ≤ n, if for every sequence v₁, v₂, …, v_k of k distinct vertices of G, there exists a hamiltonian cycle that encounters v₁, v₂, …, v_k in this order. Theorems by Dirac and Ore, presenting sufficient conditions for a graph to be hamiltonian, are generalized to k-ordered hamiltonian graphs. The existence of k-ordered graphs with small maximum degree is investigated; in particular, a family of 4-regular 4-ordered graphs is described. A graph G of order n ≥ 3 is k-hamiltonian-connected, 2 ≤ k ≤ n, if for every sequence v₁, v₂, …, v_k of k distinct vertices, G contains a v₁-v_k hamiltonian path that encounters v₁, v₂,…, v_k in this order. It is shown that for k ≥ 3, every (k + 1)-hamiltonian-connected graph is k-ordered and a result of Ore on hamiltonian-connected graphs is generalized to k-hamiltonian-connected graphs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Maximum hitting time for random walks on graphs

For x and y vertices of a connected graph G, let T_G(x, y) denote the expected time before a random walk starting from x reaches y. We determine, for each n > 0, the n-vertex graph G and vertices x and y for which T_G(x, y) is maximized. the extremal graph consists of a clique on ?(2n + 1)/3?) (or ?)(2_n ? 2)/3?) vertices, including x, to which a path on the remaining vertices, ending in y, has been attached; the expected time T_G(x, y) to reach y from x in this graph is approximately 4_n³/27.     

A note on the least number of edges of 3-uniform hypergraphs with upper chromatic number 2

The upper chromatic number of a hypergraph H=(X,E) is the maximum number k for which there exists a partition of X into non-empty subsets X=X₁∪X₂∪?∪X_k such that for each edge at least two vertices lie in one of the partite sets. We prove that for every n?3 there exists a 3-uniform hypergraph with n vertices, upper chromatic number 2 and ⌈n(n-2)/3⌉ edges which implies that a corresponding bound proved in [K. Diao, P. Zhao, H. Zhou, About the upper chromatic number of a co-hypergraph, Discrete Math. 220 (2000) 67-73] is best-possible.     

A Class of 2-Colorable Orthogonal Double Covers of Complete Graphs by Hamiltonian Paths

K _n by a graph G is a collection ? of n spanning subgraphs of K _n , all isomorphic to G, such that any two members of ? share exactly one edge and every edge of K _n is contained in exactly two members of ?. In the 1980's Hering posed the problem to decide the existence of an ODC for the case that G is an almost-hamiltonian cycle, i.e. a cycle of length n−1. It is known that the existence of an ODC of K _n by a hamiltonian path implies the existence of ODCs of K _4n and K _16n , respectively, by almost-hamiltonian cycles. Horton and Nonay introduced 2-colorable ODCs and showed: If for n≥3 and a prime power q≥5 there are an ODC of K _n by a hamiltonian path and a 2-colorable ODC of K _q by a hamiltonian path, then there is an ODC of K _qn by a hamiltonian path. We construct 2-colorable ODCs of K _n and K _2n , respectively, by hamiltonian paths for all odd square numbers n≥9. Received: January 27, 2000     

4-Books of three pages

Let H be a 4-uniform hypergraph on an n-element vertex set V containing no 4-book of 3 pages, i.e., a hypergraph of 4 quadruples with vertices {1,2,…,7} and edges {1234,1235,1236,4567}. Then for n>n₀

     

Loose Hamilton cycles in hypergraphs

We prove that any k-uniform hypergraph on n vertices with minimum degree at least contains a loose Hamilton cycle. The proof strategy is similar to that used by Kühn and Osthus for the 3-uniform case. Though some additional difficulties arise in the k-uniform case, our argument here is considerably simplified by applying the recent hypergraph blow-up lemma of Keevash.     

The existence of regular self-complementary 3-uniform hypergraphs

A k-uniform hypergraph with vertex set V and edge set E is called t-subset-regular if every t-element subset of V lies in the same number of elements of E. In this paper we show that a 1-subset-regular self-complementary 3-uniform hypergraph with n vertices exists if and only if n≥5 and n is congruent to 1 or 2 modulo 4.     

Efficiently Recognizing the P 4-Structure of Trees and of Bipartite Graphs Without Short Cycles

A 4-uniform hypergraph represents the P ₄-structure of a graph G if its hyperedges are the vertex sets of the P ₄'s in G. By using the weighted 2-section graph of the hypergraph we propose a simple efficient algorithm to decide whether a given 4-uniform hypergraph represents the P ₄-structure of a bipartite graph without 4-cycle and 6-cycle. For trees, our algorithm is different from that given by G. Ding and has a better running time namely O(n ²) where n is the number of vertices. Revised: February 18, 1998     

An improvement of fraisse's sufficient condition for hamiltonian graphs

Let G be a k-connected graph of order n. For an independent set c, let d(S) be the number of vertices adjacent to at least one vertex of S and > let i(S) be the number of vertices adjacent to at least |S| vertices of S. We prove that if there exists some s, 1 ≤ s ≤ k, such that Σ_xiEX d(X\{X_i}) > s(n?1) – k[s/2] – i(X)[(s?1)/2] holds for every independetn set X ={x₀, x₁ ?x_s} of s + 1 vertices, then G is hamiltonian. Several known results, including Fraisse's sufficient condition for hamiltonian graphs, are dervied as corollaries.     

Bounds on the convex label number of trees

A convex labelling of a tree is an assignment of distinct non-negative integer labels to vertices such that wheneverx, y andz are the labels of vertices on a path of length 2 theny≦(x+z)/2. In addition if the tree is rooted, a convex labelling must assign 0 to the root. The convex label number of a treeT is the smallest integerm such thatT has a convex labelling with no label greater thanm. We prove that every rooted tree (and hence every tree) withn vertices has convex label number less than 4n. We also exhibitn-vertex trees with convex label number 4n/3+o(n), andn-vertex rooted trees with convex label number 2n +o(n). The research by M. B. and A. W. was partly supported by NSF grant MCS—8311422.