Planar Hypohamiltonian Graphs on 40 Vertices

A graph is hypohamiltonian if it is not Hamiltonian, but the deletion of any single vertex gives a Hamiltonian graph. Until now, the smallest known planar hypohamiltonian graph had 42 vertices, a result due to Araya and Wiener. That result is here improved upon by 25 planar hypohamiltonian graphs of order 40, which are found through computer‐aided generation of certain families of planar graphs with girth 4 and a fixed number of 4‐faces. It is further shown that planar hypohamiltonian graphs exist for all orders greater than or equal to 42. If Hamiltonian cycles are replaced by Hamiltonian paths throughout the definition of hypohamiltonian graphs, we get the definition of hypotraceable graphs. It is shown that there is a planar hypotraceable graph of order 154 and of all orders greater than or equal to 156. We also show that the smallest planar hypohamiltonian graph of girth 5 has 45 vertices.     

New constructions of hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

A graph G is hypohamiltonian/hypotraceable if it is not hamiltonian/traceable, but all vertex‐deleted subgraphs of G are hamiltonian/traceable. All known hypotraceable graphs are constructed using hypohamiltonian graphs; here we present a construction that uses so‐called almost hypohamiltonian graphs (nonhamiltonian graphs, whose vertex‐deleted subgraphs are hamiltonian with exactly one exception, see [15]). This construction is an extension of a method of Thomassen [11]. As an application, we construct a planar hypotraceable graph of order 138, improving the best‐known bound of 154 [8]. We also prove a structural type theorem showing that hypotraceable graphs possessing some connectivity properties are all built using either Thomassen's or our method. We also prove that if G is a Grinbergian graph without a triangular region, then G is not maximal nonhamiltonian and using the proof method we construct a hypohamiltonian graph of order 36 with crossing number 1, improving the best‐known bound of 46 [14].     

Planar cubic hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

Infinite families of planar cubic hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs are described and these are used to prove that the maximum degree and the maximum number of edges in a hypohamiltonian graph with n vertices are approximately $\text{n}\text{2}$ and $\text{n}{}^2\text{4}$, respectively. Also, the possible order of a cubic hypohamiltonian graph is determined.     

On planar hypohamiltonian graphs

We present a planar hypohamiltonian graph on 42 vertices and (as a corollary) a planar hypotraceable graph on 162 vertices, improving the bounds of Zamfirescu and Zamfirescu and show some other consequences. We also settle the open problem whether there exists a positive integer N, such that for every integer n≥N there exists a planar hypohamiltonian/hypotraceable graph on n vertices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 67: 55‐68, 2011     

Hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

In this note hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs are constructed.     

An Infinite Family of Planar Hypohamiltonian Oriented Graphs

Carsten Thomassen asked in 1976 whether there exists a planar hypohamiltonian oriented graph. We answer his question by presenting an infinite family of planar hypohamiltonian oriented graphs, the smallest of which has order 9. A computer search showed that 9 is the smallest possible order of a hypohamiltonian oriented graph.     

On Hypohamiltonian and Almost Hypohamiltonian Graphs

A graph G is almost hypohamiltonian if G is non‐hamiltonian, there exists a vertex w such that is non‐hamiltonian, and for any vertex the graph is hamiltonian. We prove the existence of an almost hypohamiltonian graph with 17 vertices and of a planar such graph with 39 vertices. Moreover, we find a 4‐connected almost hypohamiltonian graph, while Thomassen's question whether 4‐connected hypohamiltonian graphs exist remains open. We construct planar almost hypohamiltonian graphs of order n for every . During our investigation we draw connections between hypotraceable, hypohamiltonian, and almost hypohamiltonian graphs, and discuss a natural extension of almost hypohamiltonicity. Finally, we give a short argument disproving a conjecture of Chvátal (originally disproved by Thomassen), strengthen a result of Araya and Wiener on cubic planar hypohamiltonian graphs, and mention open problems.     

Infinite families of 2-hypohamiltonian/2-hypotraceable oriented graphs

A digraph D of order n is r-hypohamiltonian (respectively r-hypotraceable) for some positive integer r < n ? 1 if D is nonhamiltonian (nontraceable) and the deletion of any r of its vertices leaves a hamiltonian (traceable) digraph. A 1-hypohamiltonian (1-traceable) digraph is simply called hypohamiltonian (hypotraceable). Although hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable digraphs are well-known and well-studied concepts, we have found no mention of r-hypohamiltonian or r-hypotraceable digraphs in the literature for any r > 1. In this paper we present infinitely many 2-hypohamiltonian oriented graphs and use these to construct infinitely many 2-hypotraceable oriented graphs. We also discuss an interesting connection between the existence of r-hypotraceable oriented graphs and the Path Partition Conjecture for oriented graphs.     

New families of hypohamiltonian graphs

We construct three new infinite families of hypohamiltonian graphs having respectively 3k+1 vertices (k?3), 3k vertices (k?5) and 5k vertices (k?4); in particular, we exhibit a hypohamiltonian graph of order 19 and a cubic hypohamiltonian graph of order 20, the existence of which was still in doubt. Using these families, we get a lower bound for the number of non-isomorphic hypohamiltonian graphs of order 3k and 5k. We also give an example of an infinite graph G having no two-way infinite hamiltonian path, but in which every vertex-deleted subgraph G - x has such a path.     

Hypohamiltonian Planar Cubic Graphs with Girth 5

A graph is called hypohamiltonian if it is not hamiltonian but becomes hamiltonian if any vertex is removed. Many hypohamiltonian planar cubic graphs have been found, starting with constructions of Thomassen in 1981. However, all the examples found until now had 4‐cycles. In this note we present the first examples of hypohamiltonian planar cubic graphs with cyclic connectivity 5, and thus girth 5. We show by computer search that the smallest members of this class are three graphs with 76 vertices.     

Infinitely Many Hypohamiltonian Cubic Graphs of Girth 7

The trivalent Coxeter graph of order 28 is the only known hypohamiltonian cubic graph of girth 7. In this paper we will construct an infinite family of hypohamiltonian cubic graphs of girth 7 and cyclic connectivity 6. The existence of cyclically 7-edge-connected hypohamiltonian cubic graphs other than the Coxeter graph, however, remains open.     

On hypohamiltonian graphs

Herz, Duby and Vigué [9] conjectured that every hypohamiltonian graph has girth 5. In the present note hypohamiltonian graphs of girth 3 and 4 are described. Also two conjectures on hypohamiltonian graphs made by Bondy and Chvátal, respectively, are disproved.     

On Non‐Hamiltonian Graphs for which every Vertex‐Deleted Subgraph Is Traceable

We call a graph G a platypus if G is non‐hamiltonian, and for any vertex v in G, the graph is traceable. Every hypohamiltonian and every hypotraceable graph is a platypus, but there exist platypuses that are neither hypohamiltonian nor hypotraceable. Among other things, we give a sharp lower bound on the size of a platypus depending on its order, draw connections to other families of graphs, and solve two open problems of Wiener. We also prove that there exists a k‐connected platypus for every .     

Cubic vertices in planar hypohamiltonian graphs

Thomassen showed in 1978 that every planar hypohamiltonian graph contains a cubic vertex. Equivalently, a planar graph with minimum degree at least 4 in which every vertex-deleted subgraph is hamiltonian, must be itself hamiltonian. By applying work of Brinkmann and the author, we extend this result in three directions. We prove that (i) every planar hypohamiltonian graph contains at least four cubic vertices, (ii) every planar almost hypohamiltonian graph contains a cubic vertex, which is not the exceptional vertex (solving a problem of the author raised in J. Graph Theory [79 (2015) 63–81]), and (iii) every hypohamiltonian graph with crossing number 1 contains a cubic vertex. Furthermore, we settle a recent question of Thomassen by proving that asymptotically the ratio of the minimum number of cubic vertices to the order of a planar hypohamiltonian graph vanishes.     

The order of hypotraceable oriented graphs

A digraph of order n is hypotraceable if it is nontraceable but all its induced subdigraphs of order n−1 are traceable. Grötschel et al. (1980) [M. Grötschel, C. Thomassen, Y. Wakabayashi, Hypotraceable digraphs, J. Graph Theory 4 (1980) 377–381] constructed an infinite family of hypotraceable oriented graphs, the smallest of which has order 13. We show that there exist hypotraceable oriented graphs of order n for every n≥8 except possibly for n=9,11 and that is the only one of order less than 8.Furthermore, we determine all the hypotraceable oriented graphs of order 8 and explain the relevance of these results to the problem of determining, for given k≥2, the maximum order of nontraceable oriented digraphs each of whose induced subdigraphs of order k is traceable.     

Every graph occurs as an induced subgraph of some hypohamiltonian graph

We prove the titular statement. This settles a problem of Chvátal from 1973 and encompasses earlier results of Thomassen, who showed it for K₃, and Collier and Schmeichel, who proved it for bipartite graphs. We also show that for every outerplanar graph there exists a planar hypohamiltonian graph containing it as an induced subgraph.     

Hypotraceable digraphs

A hypotraceable digraph is a digraph D = (V, E) which is not traceable, i.e., does not contain a (directed)Hamiltonian path, but for which D - v is traceable for all ve ∈ V. We prove that a hypotraceable digraph of order n exists iff n ≥ 7 and that for each k ≥ 3 there are infinitely many hypotraceable oriented graphs with a source and a sink and precisely k strong components. We also show that there are strongly connected hypotraceable oriented graphs and that there are hypotraceable digraphs with precisely two strong components one of which is a source or a sink. Finally, we prove that hypo-Hamiltonian and hypotraceable digraphs may contain large complete subdigraphs.     

Star chromatic numbers of some planar graphs

The concept of the star chromatic number of a graph was introduced by Vince (A. Vince, Star chromatic number, J. Graph Theory 12 (1988), 551–559), which is a natural generalization of the chromatic number of a graph. This paper calculates the star chromatic numbers of three infinite families of planar graphs. More precisely, the first family of planar graphs has star chromatic numbers consisting of two alternating infinite decreasing sequences between 3 and 4; the second family of planar graphs has star chromatic numbers forming an infinite decreasing sequence between 3 and 4; and the third family of planar graphs has star chromatic number 7/2. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 27: 33–42, 1998     

Infinite paths in planar graphs II,structures and ladder nets

A graph is k‐indivisible, where k is a positive integer, if the deletion of any finite set of vertices results in at most k – 1 infinite components. In 1971, Nash‐Williams conjectured that a 4‐connected infinite planar graph contains a spanning 2‐way infinite path if and only if it is 3‐indivisible. In this paper, we prove a structural result for 2‐indivisible infinite planar graphs. This structural result is then used to prove Nash‐Williams conjecture for all 4‐connected 2‐indivisible infinite planar graphs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 48: 247–266, 2005     

𝒢-constructibility of planar graphs

In this paper, the concept of the ??-constructibility of graphs is introduced and investigated with particular reference to planar graphs. It is conjectured that the planar graphs are minimally N-constructible, where N is a finite set of graphs and an infinite set ?? is obtained such that the planar graphs are also minimally ??-constructible. Finally, some properties of the set of all N-constructible graphs are discussed and compared with the corresponding properties of planar graphs.