The cover pebbling number of graphs

A pebbling move on a graph consists of taking two pebbles off of one vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. In the traditional pebbling problem we try to reach a specified vertex of the graph by a sequence of pebbling moves. In this paper we investigate the case when every vertex of the graph must end up with at least one pebble after a series of pebbling moves. The cover pebbling number of a graph is the minimum number of pebbles such that however the pebbles are initially placed on the vertices of the graph we can eventually put a pebble on every vertex simultaneously. We find the cover pebbling numbers of trees and some other graphs. We also consider the more general problem where (possibly different) given numbers of pebbles are required for the vertices.     

Rubbling and optimal rubbling of graphs

A pebbling move on a graph removes two pebbles at a vertex and adds one pebble at an adjacent vertex. Rubbling is a version of pebbling where an additional move is allowed. In this new move one pebble is removed at vertices v and w adjacent to a vertex u and an extra pebble is added at vertex u. A vertex is reachable from a pebble distribution if it is possible to move a pebble to that vertex using rubbling moves. The rubbling number of a graph is the smallest number m needed to guarantee that any vertex is reachable from any pebble distribution of m pebbles. The optimal rubbling number is the smallest number m needed to guarantee a pebble distribution of m pebbles from which any vertex is reachable. We determine the rubbling and optimal rubbling number of some families of graphs and we show that Graham’s conjecture does not hold for rubbling numbers.     

Threshold and complexity results for the cover pebbling game

Given a configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a graph, a pebbling move is defined by removing two pebbles from some vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. The cover pebbling number of a graph, γ(G), is the smallest number of pebbles such that through a sequence of pebbling moves, a pebble can eventually be placed on every vertex simultaneously, no matter how the pebbles are initially distributed. We determine Bose-Einstein and Maxwell-Boltzmann cover pebbling thresholds for the complete graph. Also, we show that the cover pebbling decision problem is NP-complete.     

Bounds on the Rubbling and Optimal Rubbling Numbers of Graphs

A pebbling move on a graph removes two pebbles at a vertex and adds one pebble at an adjacent vertex. Rubbling is a version of pebbling where an additional move is allowed. In this new move, one pebble each is removed at vertices v and w adjacent to a vertex u, and an extra pebble is added at vertex u. A vertex is reachable from a pebble distribution if it is possible to move a pebble to that vertex using rubbling moves. The rubbling number is the smallest number m needed to guarantee that any vertex is reachable from any pebble distribution of m pebbles. The optimal rubbling number is the smallest number m needed to guarantee a pebble distribution of m pebbles from which any vertex is reachable. We give bounds for rubbling and optimal rubbling numbers. In particular, we find an upper bound for the rubbling number of n-vertex, diameter d graphs, and estimates for the maximum rubbling number of diameter 2 graphs. We also give a sharp upper bound for the optimal rubbling number, and sharp upper and lower bounds in terms of the diameter.     

Improved pebbling bounds

Consider a configuration of pebbles distributed on the vertices of a connected graph of order n. A pebbling step consists of removing two pebbles from a given vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. A distribution of pebbles on a graph is called solvable if it is possible to place a pebble on any given vertex using a sequence of pebbling steps. The pebbling number of a graph, denoted f(G), is the minimal number of pebbles such that every configuration of f(G) pebbles on G is solvable. We derive several general upper bounds on the pebbling number, improving previous results.     

圈的中间图pebbling数和Graham猜想

图G的一个pebbling移动是从一个顶点移走2个pebble, 而把其中的1个pebble移到与其相邻的一个顶点上. 图G 的pebbling数f(G)是最小的正整数n, 使得不论n个pebble 如何放置在G的顶点上, 总可以通过一系列的pebbling移动, 把1个pebble移到图G的任意一个顶点上. 图G 的中间图M(G) 就是在G 的每一条边上插入一个新点, 再把G 上相邻边上的新点用一条边连接起来的图. 对于任意两个连通图G和H, Graham猜测f(G\times H)\leq f(G)f(H). 首先研究了圈的中间图的pebbling 数, 然后讨论了一些圈的中间图满足Graham猜想.     

Graham’s pebbling conjecture on product of complete bipartite graphs

The pebbling number of a graph G, f(G), is the least n such that, no matter how n pebbles are placed on the vertices of G, we can move a pebble to any vertex by a sequence of moves, each move taking two pebbles off one vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. Graham conjectured that for any connected graphs G and H, f( G x H) ⩽ f( G) f( H). We show that Graham’s conjecture holds true of a complete bipartite graph by a graph with the two-pebbling property. As a corollary, Graham’s conjecture holds when G and H are complete bipartite graphs.     

完全$r$部图乘积上的Graham猜想

图G的Pebbling数f(G)是最小的正整数n,使得不论n个Pebble如何放置在G的顶点上,总可以通过一系列的Pebbling移动把1个Pebble移到任意一点上,其中Pebbling移动是从一个顶点处移走两个Pebble而把其中一个移到与其相邻的一个顶点上.Graham猜测对于任意的连通图G和H有f(G×H)≤f(G)f(H).本文证明对于一个完全γ部图和一个具有2-Pebbleing性质的图来说,Graham猜想成立.作为一个推论,当G和H均为完全γ部图时,Graham猜想成立.     

多扇图的Pebbling数和Graham猜想

图G的pebbling数f(G)是最小的整数n,使得不论n个pebble如何放置在G的顶点上,总可以通过一系列的pebbling移动把1个pebble移到任意一个顶点上,其中一个pebbling移动是从一个顶点处移走两个pebble而把其中的一个移到与其相邻的一个顶点上。Graham猜想对于任意的连通图G和H有f(G×H)f(G)f(H)。多扇图F_n1,n2,…,nm是指阶为n₁+n₂+…+n_m+1的联图P₁∨(P_n1∪P_n2∪…∪P_nm)。本文首先给出了多扇图的pebbling数,然后证明了多扇图F_n1,n2,…,nm具有2-pebbling性质,最后论述了对于一个多扇图和一个具有2-pebbling性质的图的乘积来说,Graham猜想是成立的。作为一个推论,当G和H都是多扇图时,Graham猜想成立。     

t-Pebbling and Extensions

Graph pebbling is the study of moving discrete pebbles from certain initial distributions on the vertices of a graph to various target distributions via pebbling moves. A pebbling move removes two pebbles from a vertex and places one pebble on one of its neighbors (losing the other as a toll). For t ≥ 1 the t-pebbling number of a graph is the minimum number of pebbles necessary so that from any initial distribution of them it is possible to move t pebbles to any vertex. We provide the best possible upper bound on the t-pebbling number of a diameter two graph, proving a conjecture of Curtis et al., in the process. We also give a linear time (in the number of edges) algorithm to t-pebble such graphs, as well as a quartic time (in the number of vertices) algorithm to compute the pebbling number of such graphs, improving the best known result of Bekmetjev and Cusack. Furthermore, we show that, for complete graphs, cycles, trees, and cubes, we can allow the target to be any distribution of t pebbles without increasing the corresponding t-pebbling numbers; we conjecture that this behavior holds for all graphs. Finally, we explore fractional and optimal fractional versions of pebbling, proving the fractional pebbling number conjecture of Hurlbert and using linear optimization to reveal results on the optimal fractional pebbling number of vertex-transitive graphs.     

Pebbling numbers of some graphs

Chung defined a pebbling move on a graphG as the removal of two pebbles from one vertex and the addition of one pebble to an adjacent vertex. The pebbling number of a connected graphG, f(G), is the leastn such that any distribution ofn pebbles onG allows one pebble to be moved to any specified but arbitrary vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. Graham conjectured that for any connected graphsG andH, f(G xH) ≤ f(G)f(H). In the present paper the pebbling numbers of the product of two fan graphs and the product of two wheel graphs are computed. As a corollary, Graham’s conjecture holds whenG andH are fan graphs or wheel graphs.     

Graham's pebbling conjecture on products of cycles

Chung defined a pebbling move on a graph G to be the removal of two pebbles from one vertex and the addition of one pebble to an adjacent vertex. The pebbling number of a connected graph is the smallest number f(G) such that any distribution of f(G) pebbles on G allows one pebble to be moved to any specified, but arbitrary vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. Graham conjectured that for any connected graphs G and H, f(G×H)≤ f(G)f(H). We prove Graham's conjecture when G is a cycle for a variety of graphs H, including all cycles. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 42: 141–154, 2003     

Maximum pebbling number of graphs of diameter three

Given a configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a graph G, a pebbling move consists of taking two pebbles off some vertex v and putting one of them back on a vertex adjacent to v. A graph is called pebbleable if for each vertex v there is a sequence of pebbling moves that would place at least one pebble on v. The pebbling number of a graph G is the smallest integer m such that G is pebbleable for every configuration of m pebbles on G. We prove that the pebbling number of a graph of diameter 3 on n vertices is no more than (3/2)n + O(1), and, by explicit construction, that the bound is sharp. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

The pebbling threshold of the square of cliques

Given an initial configuration of pebbles on a graph, one can move pebbles in pairs along edges, at the cost of one of the pebbles moved, with the objective of reaching a specified target vertex. The pebbling number of a graph is the minimum number of pebbles so that every configuration of that many pebbles can reach any chosen target. The pebbling threshold of a sequence of graphs is roughly the number of pebbles so that almost every (resp. almost no) configuration of asymptotically more (resp. fewer) pebbles can reach any chosen target. In this paper we find the pebbling threshold of the sequence of squares of cliques, improving upon an earlier result of Boyle and verifying an important instance of a probabilistic version of Graham's product conjecture.     

Doppelgangers and Lemke graphs

Let $G$ be a connected graph. A configuration of pebbles on $G$ is a function that assigns a nonnegative integer to each vertex. A pebbling move consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. A configuration is solvable if after making pebbling moves any vertex can get at least one pebble. The pebbling number of $G$, denoted $\pi \left(G\right)$, is the smallest integer such that any configuration of $\pi \left(G\right)$ pebbles on $G$ is solvable. A graph has the two-pebbling property if after placing more than $2\pi \left(G\right)?q$ pebbles on $G$, where $q$ is the number of vertices with pebbles, there is a sequence of pebbling moves so that at least two pebbles can be placed on any vertex. A graph without the two-pebbling property is called a Lemke graph. Previously, an infinite family of Lemke graphs was shown to exist by subdividing edges of the original Lemke graph. In this paper, we introduce a new way to create infinite families of Lemke graphs based on adding vertices as well as subdividing edges. We also characterize the configurations that violate the two-pebbling property on these graphs and conjecture another infinite family of Lemke graphs that generalizes the original Lemke graph.     

On the pebbling threshold of paths and the pebbling threshold spectrum

A configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a graph is solvable if one can place a pebble on any given root vertex via a sequence of pebbling steps. A function is a pebbling threshold for a sequence of graphs if a randomly chosen configuration of asymptotically more pebbles is almost surely solvable, while one of asymptotically fewer pebbles is almost surely not. In this paper we tighten the gap between the upper and lower bounds for the pebbling threshold for the sequence of paths in the multiset model. We also find the pebbling threshold for the sequence of paths in the binomial model. Finally, we show that the spectrum of pebbling thresholds for graph sequences in the multiset model spans the entire range from n^1/2 to n, answering a question of Czygrinow, Eaton, Hurlbert and Kayll. What the spectrum looks like above n remains unknown.     

Two-pebbling and odd-two-pebbling are not equivalent

Let $G$ be a connected graph. A configuration of pebbles assigns a nonnegative integer number of pebbles to each vertex of $G$. A move consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. A configuration is solvable if any vertex can get at least one pebble through a sequence of moves. The pebbling number of $G$, denoted $\pi \left(G\right)$, is the smallest integer such that any configuration of $\pi \left(G\right)$ pebbles on $G$ is solvable. A graph has the two-pebbling property if after placing more than $2\pi \left(G\right)-q$ pebbles on $G$, where $q$ is the number of vertices with pebbles, there is a sequence of moves so that at least two pebbles can be placed on any vertex. A graph has the odd-two-pebbling property if after placing more than $2\pi \left(G\right)-r$ pebbles on $G$, where $r$ is the number of vertices with an odd number of pebbles, there is a sequence of moves so that at least two pebbles can be placed on any vertex. In this paper, we prove that the two-pebbling and odd-two-pebbling properties are not equivalent.     

Pebbling Graphs of Diameter Three and Four

Given a configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G, a pebbling move is defined as the removal of two pebbles from some vertex and the placement of one of these on an adjacent vertex. The pebbling number of a graph G is the smallest integer k such that for each vertex v and each configuration of k pebbles on G there is a sequence of pebbling moves that places at least one pebble on v. We improve on a bound of Bukh by showing that the pebbling number of a graph of diameter three on n vertices is at most , and this bound is best possible. Further, we obtain an asymptotic bound of for the pebbling number of graphs of diameter four. Finally, we prove an asymptotic bound for pebbling graphs of arbitrary diameter, namely that the pebbling number for a diameter d graph on n vertices is at most , where is a constant depending upon d. This also improves another bound of Bukh.     

Optimal Group Testing with Processing Times and Incomplete Identification

We consider the group testing problem for a finite population of possibly defective items with the objective of sampling a prespecified demanded number of nondefective items at minimum cost. Group testing means that items can be pooled and tested together; if the group comes out clean, all items in it are nondefective, while a contaminated group is scrapped. Every test takes a random amount of time and a given deadline has to be met. If the prescribed number of nondefective items is not reached, the demand has to be satisfied at a higher (penalty) cost. We derive explicit formulas for the distributions underlying the cost functionals of this model. It is shown in numerical examples that these results can be used to determine the optimal group size.     

Green’s function,temperature in a convectively cooled sphere with arbitrarily located spherical heat sources

Steady state heat conduction in a convectively cooled sphere having arbitrarily located spherical heat sources inside is treated with the method of Green’s function accompanied by a coordinate transform. Green’s function of the heat diffusion operator for a finite sphere with Robin boundary condition is obtained by spherical harmonics expansion. Verification of the analytical solution is exemplified in some generic cases related to the pebbles of South-African PBMR as of year 2000 with 268 MW thermal power. Analytical results for different sectors of the sphere (pebble) are compared with the results of computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT^™. This work is motivated through a modest effort to assess the stochastic effects of distribution and volumetric effects of fuel kernels within the pebbles of future-promising pebble bed reactors.