On Independent Cycles in a Bipartite Graph

 Let G=(V ₁,V ₂;E) be a bipartite graph with 2k≤m=|V ₁|≤|V ₂|=n, where k is a positive integer. We show that if the number of edges of G is at least (2k−1)(n−1)+m, then G contains k vertex-disjoint cycles, unless e(G)=(2k−1)(n−1)+m and G belongs to a known class of graphs. Received: December 9, 1998 Final version received: June 2, 1999     

Structures and Chromaticity of Extremal 3-Colourable Sparse Graphs

 Assume that G is a 3-colourable connected graph with e(G) = 2v(G) −k, where k≥ 4. It has been shown that s ₃(G) ≥ 2 ^{k −3}, where s _r (G) = P(G,r)/r! for any positive integer r and P(G, λ) is the chromatic polynomial of G. In this paper, we prove that if G is 2-connected and s ₃(G) < 2 ^{k −2}, then G contains at most v(G) −k triangles; and the upper bound is attained only if G is a graph obtained by replacing each edge in the k-cycle C _k by a 2-tree. By using this result, we settle the problem of determining if W(n, s) is χ-unique, where W(n, s) is the graph obtained from the wheel W _n by deleting all but s consecutive spokes. Received: January 29, 1999 Final version received: April 8, 2000     

(3,k)-Factor-Critical Graphs and Toughness

 A graph is (r,k)-factor-critical if the removal of any set of k vertices results in a graph with an r-factor (i.e. an r-regular spanning subgraph). Let t(G) denote the toughness of graph G. In this paper, we show that if t(G)≥4, then G is (3,k)-factor-critical for every non-negative integer k such that n+k even, k<2 t(G)−2 and k≤n−7. Revised: September 21, 1998     

The Decomposition Dimension of Graphs

 For an ordered k-decomposition ? = {G ₁, G ₂,…,G _k } of a connected graph G and an edge e of G, the ?-representation of e is the k-tuple r(e|?) = (d(e, G ₁), d(e, G ₂),…,d(e, G _k )), where d(e, G _i ) is the distance from e to G _i . A decomposition ? is resolving if every two distinct edges of G have distinct representations. The minimum k for which G has a resolving k-decomposition is its decomposition dimension dec(G). It is shown that for every two positive integers k and n≥ 2, there exists a tree T of order n with dec(T) = k. It is also shown that dec(G) ≤n for every graph G of order n≥ 3 and that dec(K _n ) ≤⌊(2n + 5)/3⌋ for n≥ 3. Received: June 17, 1998 Final version received: August 10, 1999     

New Lower Bounds on the Multicolor Ramsey Numbers R r (C 2 m )

The multicolor Ramsey number R_r(H) is defined to be the smallest integer n=n(r) with the property that any r-coloring of the edges of the complete graph K_n must result in a monochromatic subgraph of K_n isomorphic to H. It is well known that 2^rm<R_r(C_2m+1)<2(r+2)!m and R_r(C_2m)≥(r−1)(m−1)+1. In this paper, we prove that R_r(C_2m)≥2(r−1)(m−1)+2. This research is supported by NSFC(60373096, 60573022) and SRFDP(20030141003)     

Asymptotic Upper Bounds for Ramsey Functions

 We show that for any graph G with N vertices and average degree d, if the average degree of any neighborhood induced subgraph is at most a, then the independence number of G is at least Nf _{a +1}(d), where f _{a +1}(d)=∫₀ ¹(((1−t)^{1/( a +1)})/(a+1+(d−a−1)t))dt. Based on this result, we prove that for any fixed k and l, there holds r(K _k + _l ,K _n )≤ (l+o(1))n ^k /(logn) ^{k −1}. In particular, r(K _k , K _n )≤(1+o(1))n ^{k −1}/(log n) ^{k −2}. Received: May 11, 1998 Final version received: March 24, 1999     

On K 1,k -factorization of bipartite multigraphs

A K1,k-factorization of λKm,n is a set of edge-disjoint K1,k-factors of λKm,n, which partition the set of edges of λKm,n. In this paper, it is proved that a sufficient condition for the existence of K1,k-factorization of λKm,n, whenever k is any positive integer, is that （1） m ≤ kn, （2） n ≤ km, （3） km-n = kn-m ≡ 0 （mod （k^2- 1）） and （4） λ（km-n）（kn-m） ≡ 0 （mod k（k- 1）（k^2 - 1）（m ＋ n））.     

A 2-factor with Short Cycles Passing Through Specified Independent Vertices in Graph

For a graph G, we define σ₂(G) := min{d(u) + d(v)|u, v ≠ ∈ E(G), u ≠ v}. Let k ≥ 1 be an integer and G be a graph of order n ≥ 3k. We prove if σ₂(G) ≥ n + k − 1, then for any set of k independent vertices v ₁,...,v _k , G has k vertex-disjoint cycles C ₁,..., C _k of length at most four such that v _i ∈ V(C _i ) for all 1 ≤ i ≤ k. And show if σ₂(G) ≥ n + k − 1, then for any set of k independent vertices v ₁,...,v _k , G has k vertex-disjoint cycles C ₁,..., C _k such that v _i ∈ V(C _i ) for all 1 ≤ i ≤ k, V(C ₁) ∪...∪ V(C _k ) = V(G), and |C _i | ≤ 4 for all 1 ≤ i ≤ k − 1. The condition of degree sum σ₂(G) ≥ n + k − 1 is sharp. Received: December 20, 2006. Final version received: December 12, 2007.     

Complexes of graph homomorphisms

Hom(G, H) is a polyhedral complex defined for any two undirected graphsG andH. This construction was introduced by Lovász to give lower bounds for chromatic numbers of graphs. In this paper we initiate the study of the topological properties of this class of complexes. We prove that Hom(K _m, K_n) is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of (n−m)-dimensional spheres, and provide an enumeration formula for the number of the spheres. As a corollary we prove that if for some graphG, and integersm≥2 andk≥−1, we have ϖ ₁ ^k (Hom(K _m, G))≠0, thenχ(G)≥k+m; here ℤ₂-action is induced by the swapping of two vertices inK _m, and ϖ₁ is the first Stiefel-Whitney class corresponding to this action. Furthermore, we prove that a fold in the first argument of Hom(G, H) induces a homotopy equivalence. It then follows that Hom(F, K _n) is homotopy equivalent to a direct product of (n−2)-dimensional spheres, while Hom(F, K _n) is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of spheres, whereF is an arbitrary forest andF is its complement. The second author acknowledges support by the University of Washington, Seattle, the Swiss National Science Foundation Grant PP002-102738/1, the University of Bern, and the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.     

Mader’s Conjecture On Extremely Critical Graphs

A non-complete graph G is called an (n,k)-graph if it is n-connected but G—X is not (n−|X|+1)-connected for any X ⊂V (G) with |X|≤k. Mader conjectured that for k≥3 the graph K_2k+2−(1−factor) is the unique (2k,k)-graph(up to isomorphism). Here we prove this conjecture.     

On the Upper Bounds of the Numbers of Perfect Matchings in Graphs with Given Parameters

Let φ(G),κ(G),α(G),χ(G),cl(G),diam(G)denote the number of perfect matchings,connectivity,independence number,chromatic number,clique number and diameter of a graph G,respectively.In this note,by constructing some extremal graphs,the following extremal problems are solved:1.max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,κ(G)≤k}=k[(2n-3)!!],2.max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,α(G)≥k}=[multiply from i=0 to k-1(2n-k-i)[(2n-2k-1)!!],3.max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,χ(G)≤k}=φ(T_(k,2n))T_(k,2n)is the Turán graph,that is a complete k-partite graphon 2n vertices in which all parts are as equal in size as possible,4.max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,cl(G)=2}=n1,5.max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,diam(G)≥2}=(2n-2)(2n-3)[(2n-5)!!],max{φ(G):|V(G)|=2n,diam(G)≥3}=(n-1)~2[(2n-5)!!].     

The Convexity Number of a Graph

 For two vertices u and v of a connected graph G, the set I[u,v] consists of all those vertices lying on a u−v shortest path in G, while for a set S of vertices of G, the set I[S] is the union of all sets I[u,v] for u,v∈S. A set S is convex if I[S]=S. The convexity number con(G) of G is the maximum cardinality of a proper convex set of G. The clique number ω(G) is the maximum cardinality of a clique in G. If G is a connected graph of order n that is not complete, then n≥3 and 2≤ω(G)≤con(G)≤n−1. It is shown that for every triple l,k,n of integers with n≥3 and 2≤l≤k≤n−1, there exists a noncomplete connected graph G of order n with ω(G)=l and con(G)=k. Other results on convex numbers are also presented. Received: August 19, 1998 Final version received: May 17, 2000     

A Neighborhood Condition for Graphs to Have [a, b]-Factors II

 Let a, b, m, and t be integers such that 1≤a<b and 1≤t≤⌉(b−m+1)/a⌉. Suppose that G is a graph of order |G| and H is any subgraph of G with the size |E(H)|=m. Then we prove that G has an [a,b]-factor containing all the edges of H if the minimum degree is at least a, |G|>((a+b)(t(a+b−1)−1)+2m)/b, and |N _G (x ₁)∪⋯ ∪N _G (x _t )|≥(a|G|+2m)/(a+b) for every independent set {x ₁,…,x _t }⊆V(G). This result is best possible in some sense and it is an extension of the result of H. Matsuda (A neighborhood condition for graphs to have [a,b]-factors, Discrete Mathematics 224 (2000) 289–292). Received: October, 2001 Final version received: September 17, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" This research was partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists, 13740084, 2001     

On the Construction of Permutation Arrays via Mappings from Binary Vectors to Permutations

An (n, d, k)-mapping f is a mapping from binary vectors of length n to permutations of length n + k such that for all x, y {0,1}ⁿ, d_H (f(x), f(y)) ≥ d_H (x, y) + d, if d_H (x, y) ≤ (n + k) − d and d_H (f(x), f(y)) = n + k, if d_H (x, y) > (n + k) − d. In this paper, we construct an (n,3,2)-mapping for any positive integer n ≥ 6. An (n, r)-permutation array is a permutation array of length n and any two permutations of which have Hamming distance at least r. Let P(n, r) denote the maximum size of an (n, r)-permutation array and A(n, r) denote the same setting for binary codes. Applying (n,3,2)-mappings to the design of permutation array, we can construct an efficient permutation array (easy to encode and decode) with better code rate than previous results [Chang (2005). IEEE Trans inf theory 51:359–365, Chang et al. (2003). IEEE Trans Inf Theory 49:1054–1059; Huang et al. (submitted)]. More precisely, we obtain that, for n ≥ 8, P(n, r) ≥ A(n − 2, r − 3) > A(n − 1,r − 2) = A(n, r − 1) when n is even and P(n, r) ≥ A(n − 2, r − 3) = A(n − 1, r − 2) > A(n, r − 1) when n is odd. This improves the best bound A(n − 1,r − 2) so far [Huang et al. (submitted)] for n ≥ 8. The work was supported in part by the National Science Council of Taiwan under contract NSC-93-2213-E-009-117     

Bounds on the Total Restrained Domination Number of a Graph

Let G = (V, E) be a graph. A set S í V{S \subseteq V} is a total restrained dominating set if every vertex is adjacent to a vertex in S and every vertex of V − S is adjacent to a vertex in V − S. The total restrained domination number of G, denoted by γ _tr (G), is the smallest cardinality of a total restrained dominating set of G. We show that if δ ≥ 3, then γ _tr (G) ≤ n − δ − 2 provided G is not one of several forbidden graphs. Furthermore, we show that if G is r − regular, where 4 ≤ r ≤ n − 3, then γ _tr (G) ≤ n − diam(G) − r + 1.     

Tiling Transitive Tournaments and Their Blow-ups

Let TT _k denote the transitive tournament on k vertices. Let TT(h,k) denote the graph obtained from TT _k by replacing each vertex with an independent set of size h≥1. The following result is proved: Let c ₂=1/2, c ₃=5/6 and c _k =1−2^{−k−log k} for k≥4. For every ∈>0 there exists N=N(∈,h,k) such that for every undirected graph G with n>N vertices and with δ(G)≥c _k n, every orientation of G contains vertex disjoint copies of TT(h,k) that cover all but at most ∈n vertices. In the cases k=2 and k=3 the result is asymptotically tight. For k≥4, c _k cannot be improved to less than 1−2^{−0.5k(1+o(1))}. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On Ramsey Numbers for Trees Versus Wheels of Five or Six Vertices

 For given two graphs G dan H, the Ramsey number R(G,H) is the smallest positive integer n such that every graph F of order n must contain G or the complement of F must contain H. In [12], the Ramsey numbers for the combination between a star S _n and a wheel W _m for m=4,5 were shown, namely, R(S _n ,W ₄)=2n−1 for odd n and n≥3, otherwise R(S _n ,W ₄)=2n+1, and R(S _n ,W ₅)=3n−2 for n≥3. In this paper, we shall study the Ramsey number R(G,W _m ) for G any tree T _n . We show that if T _n is not a star then the Ramsey number R(T _n ,W ₄)=2n−1 for n≥4 and R(T _n ,W ₅)=3n−2 for n≥3. We also list some open problems. Received: October, 2001 Final version received: July 11, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" This work was supported by the QUE Project, Department of Mathematics ITB Indonesia Acknowledgments. We would like to thank the referees for several helpful comments.     

The Smallest Degree Sum That Yields Potentially Kr＋1 - K3-Graphic Sequences

Let a（Kr,＋1 - K3,n） be the smallest even integer such that each n-term graphic sequence п= （d1,d2,…dn） with term sum σ（п） = d1 ＋ d2 ＋…＋ dn 〉 σ（Kr＋1 -K3,n） has a realization containing Kr＋1 - K3 as a subgraph, where Kr＋1 -K3 is a graph obtained from a complete graph Kr＋1 by deleting three edges which form a triangle. In this paper, we determine the value σ（Kr＋1 - K3,n） for r ≥ 3 and n ≥ 3r＋ 5.     

An elementary approach to gap theorems

Using elementary comparison geometry, we prove: Let (M, g) be a simply-connected complete Riemannian manifold of dimension ≥ 3. Suppose that the sectional curvature K satisfies −1 − s(r) ≤ K ≤ −1, where r denotes distance to a fixed point in M. If lim _{r → ∞} e^2r s(r) = 0, then (M, g) has to be isometric to ℍ ⁿ . The same proof also yields that if K satisfies −s(r) ≤ K ≤ 0 where lim _{r → ∞} r ² s(r) = 0, then (M, g) is isometric to ℝ ⁿ , a result due to Greene and Wu. Our second result is a local one: Let (M, g) be any Riemannian manifold. For a ∈ ℝ, if K ≤ a on a geodesic ball B _p (R) in M and K = a on ∂B _p (R), then K = a on B _p (R).     

Large Monotone Paths in Graphs with Bounded Degree

 We prove that for every ε>0 and positive integer r, there exists Δ₀=Δ₀(ε) such that if Δ>Δ₀ and n>n(Δ,ε,r) then there exists a packing of K _n with ⌊(n−1)/Δ⌋ graphs, each having maximum degree at most Δ and girth at least r, where at most εn ² edges are unpacked. This result is used to prove the following: Let f be an assignment of real numbers to the edges of a graph G. Let α(G,f) denote the maximum length of a monotone simple path of G with respect to f. Let α(G) be the minimum of α(G,f), ranging over all possible assignments. Now let α_Δ be the maximum of α(G) ranging over all graphs with maximum degree at most Δ. We prove that Δ+1≥α_Δ≥Δ(1−o(1)). This extends some results of Graham and Kleitman [6] and of Calderbank et al. [4] who considered α(K _n ). Received: March 15, 1999?Final version received: October 22, 1999