Subgraphs smaller than the girth

For graphs A, B, let () denote the number of subsets of nodes of A for which the induced subgraph is B. If G and H both have girth > k, and if () = () for every k-node tree T, then for every k-node forest F, () = (). Say the spread of a tree is the number of nodes in a longest path. If G is regular of degree d, on n nodes, with girth > k, and if F is a forest of total spread ≤k, then the value of () depends only on n and d.     

Enumeration of graphs by degree sequence

The degree sequence (d₀, d₁, …, d_p-1) of a graph G of order p is defined by d_k = the number of points of G of degree k. Methods of Robinson are extended to produce a generating function F(x₀, x₁, x₂, …) where the coefficient of x…x is the number of graphs of order p having degree sequence (d₀, …, d_p-1).     

The circular chromatic number of the Mycielskian of G

In a search for triangle-free graphs with arbitrarily large chromatic numbers, Mycielski developed a graph transformation that transforms a graph G into a new graph μ(G), we now call the Mycielskian of G, which has the same clique number as G and whose chromatic number equals χ(G) + 1. Chang, Huang, and Zhu [G. J. Chang, L. Huang, & X. Zhu, Discrete Math, to appear] have investigated circular chromatic numbers of Mycielskians for several classes of graphs. In this article, we study circular chromatic numbers of Mycielskians for another class of graphs G. The main result is that χ_c(μ(G)) = χ(μ(G)), which settles a problem raised in [G. J. Chang, L. Huang, & X. Zhu, Discrete Math, to appear, and X. Zhu, to appear]. As χ_c(G) = and χ(G) = , consequently, there exist graphs G such that χ_c(G) is as close to χ(G) − 1 as you want, but χ_c(μ(G)) = χ(μ(G)). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 32: 63–71, 1999     

Acyclic edge chromatic number of outerplanar graphs

A proper edge coloring of a graph G is called acyclic if there is no 2‐colored cycle in G. The acyclic edge chromatic number of G, denoted by χ(G), is the least number of colors in an acyclic edge coloring of G. In this paper, we determine completely the acyclic edge chromatic number of outerplanar graphs. The proof is constructive and supplies a polynomial time algorithm to acyclically color the edges of any outerplanar graph G using χ(G) colors. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 22–36, 2010     

The determining number of a Cartesian product

A set S of vertices is a determining set for a graph G if every automorphism of G is uniquely determined by its action on S. The determining number of G, denoted Det(G), is the size of a smallest determining set. This paper begins by proving that if G=G□?□G is the prime factor decomposition of a connected graph then Det(G)=max{Det(G)}. It then provides upper and lower bounds for the determining number of a Cartesian power of a prime connected graph. Further, this paper shows that Det(Q_n)=?log₂n?+1 which matches the lower bound, and that Det(K)=?log₃(2n+1)?+1 which for all n is within one of the upper bound. The paper concludes by proving that if H is prime and connected, Det(Hⁿ)=Θ(logn). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

On a conjecture on maximal planar sequences

Let d1 d2 dp denote the nonincreasing sequence d₁, …, d₁, d₂, …, d₂, …, d_p, …, d_p, where the term d_i appears k_i times (i = 1, 2, …, p). In this work the author proves that the maximal 2-sequences: 7³6¹5¹⁵, 7⁵6¹5¹⁷, 7⁷6¹5¹⁹ are planar graphical, in contrast to a conjecture by Schmeichel and Hakimi.     

On Ramsey‐type positional games

Let K denote the graph obtained from the complete graph K_s+t by deleting the edges of some K_t‐subgraph. We prove that for each fixed s and sufficiently large t, every graph with chromatic number s+t has a K minor. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 65: 343–350, 2010     

On the minimum size of tight hypergraphs

A k-graph, H = (V, E), is tight if for every surjective mapping f: V → {1,….k} there exists an edge α ? E sicj tjat f|_α is injective. Clearly, 2-graphs are tight if and only if they are connected. Bounds for the minimum number ? of edges in a tight k-graph with n vertices are given. We conjecture that ? for every n and prove the equality when 2n + 1 is prime. From the examples, minimal embeddings of complete graphs into surfaces follow. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Graph minors and linkages

Bollobás and Thomason showed that every 22k‐connected graph is k‐linked. Their result used a dense graph minor. In this paper, we investigate the ties between small graph minors and linkages. In particular, we show that a 6‐connected graph with a K minor is 3‐linked. Further, we show that a 7‐connected graph with a K minor is (2,5)‐linked. Finally, we show that a graph of order n and size at least 7n?29 contains a K minor. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 49: 75–91, 2005     

The size of strength-maximal graphs

Let G be a graph and let k′(G) be the edge-connectivity of G. The strength of G, denoted by k?′(G), is the maximum value of k′(H), where H runs over all subgraphs of G. A simple graph G is called k-maximal if k?′(G) ≤ k but for any edge e ∈ E(G^c), k?′(G + e) ≥ k + 1. Let G be a k-maximal graph of order n. In [3], Mader proved |E(G)| ≤ (n - k)k + (). In this note, we shall show (n - 1)k - () In?n/k + 2)? ≤ |E(G|, and characterize the extremal graphs. We shall also give a characterization of all k-maximal graphs.     

Star factorizations of graph products

A k‐star is the graph K_1,k. We prove a general theorem about k‐star factorizations of Cayley graphs. This is used to give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of k‐star factorizations of any power (K_q)^s of a complete graph with prime power order q, products C × C ×··· × C of k cycles of arbitrary lengths, and any power (C_r)^s of a cycle of arbitrary length. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 36: 59–66, 2001     

Distinguishing two graph-encoded manifolds of Lins

Lins has conjectured that the two 3-manifolds that he refers to as H and H̄ are not homeomorphic. He suggests that their fundamental groups may be the same, but that they may be distinguishable by their quantum invariants. This article describes the proof that they, in fact, have different fundamental groups. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 32: 298–302, 1999     

Edge-colored saturated graphs

A graph G is (k₁, k₂, …, k_t)-saturated if there exists a coloring C of the edges of G in t colors 1, 2, …, t in such a way that there is no monochromatic complete k_i-subgraph K of color i, 1 ? i ? t, but the addition of any new edge of color i, joining two nonadjacent vertices in G, with C, creates a monochromatic K of color i, 1 ? i ? t. We determine the maximum and minimum number of edges in such graphs and characterize the unique extremal graphs.     

Total relative displacement of vertex permutations of K

Let α denote a permutation of the n vertices of a connected graph G. Define δ_α(G) to be the number , where the sum is over all the unordered pairs of distinct vertices of G. The number δ_α(G) is called the total relative displacement of α (in G). So, permutation α is an automorphism of G if and only if δ_α(G) = 0. Let π(G) denote the smallest positive value of δ_α(G) among the n! permutations α of the vertices of G. A permutation α for which π(G) = δ_α(G) has been called a near‐automorphism of G [ 2 ]. We determine π(K) and describe permutations α of K for which π(K) = δ_α(K). This is done by transforming the problem into the combinatorial optimization problem of maximizing the sums of the squares of the entries in certain t by t matrices with non–negative integer entries in which the sum of the entries in the ith row and the sum of the entries in the ith column each equal to n_i,1≤i≤t. We prove that for positive integers, n₁≤n₂≤…≤n_t, where t≥2 and n_t≥2, where k₀ is the smallest index for which n = n+1. As a special case, we correct the value of π(K_m,n), for all m and n at least 2, given by Chartrand, Gavlas, and VanderJagt [ 2 ]. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 41: 85–100, 2002     

An extremal problem for subdivisions of K

It is proved that every graph G with ‖G‖ ≥ 2|G| − 5, |G| ≥ 6, and girth at least 5, except the Petersen graph, contains a subdivision of K, the complete graph on five vertices minus one edge. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc, J. Graph Theory 30: 261–276, 1999     

A generalization of Plantholt's theorem

Let K denote the complete graph K_2n+1 with each edge replicated r times and let χ′(G) denote the chromatic index of a multigraph G. A multigraph G is critical if χ′(G) > χ′(G/e) for each edge e of G. Let S be a set of sn – 1 edges of K. We show that, for 0 < s ≦ r, G/S is critical and that χ′ (G/(S ∪{e})) = 2rn + r – s for all e ∈ E(G/S). Plantholt [M. Plantholt, The chromatic index of graphs with a spanning star. J. Graph Theory 5 (1981) 5–13] proved this result in the case when r = 1.     

On the chromatic number of the general Kneser-graph

Given integers k, n, 2 < k < n, let us define a graph with vertex set V = {F ?{1, 2, …, n}: ∩F = k}, and (F, F') is an edge if |F ∩ F′| ≤ 1. We show that for n > n₀(k) the chromatic number of this graph is (k - 1)() + rs, where n = (k - 1)s + r, 0 ≤ r < k - 1.     

Contractible elements in k‐connected graphs not containing some specified graphs

In 15 , Thomassen proved that any triangle‐free k‐connected graph has a contractible edge. Starting with this result, there are several results concerning the existence of contractible elements in k‐connected graphs which do not contain specified subgraphs. These results extend Thomassen's result, cf., 2 , 3 , 9 - 13 . In particular, Kawarabayashi 12 proved that any k‐connected graph without K subgraphs contains either a contractible edge or a contractible triangle. In this article, we further extend these results, and prove the following result. Let k be an integer with k ≥ 6. If G is a k‐connected graph such that G does not contain as a subgraph and G does not contain as an induced subgraph, then G has either a contractible edge which is not contained in any triangle or a contractible triangle. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 58:97–109, 2008     

Finite fields and the 1‐chromatic number of orientable surfaces

The 1‐chromatic number χ₁(S_p) of the orientable surface S_p of genus p is the maximum chromatic number of all graphs which can be drawn on the surface so that each edge is crossed by no more than one other edge. We show that if there exists a finite field of order 4m+1, m≥3, then 8m+2≤χ₁(S)≤8m+3, where 8m+3 is Ringel's upper bound on χ₁(S). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 63: 179–184, 2010     

Ramsey numbers for multiple copies of complete graphs

The Ramsey numbers r(m₁K_p, …, m_cK) are calculated to within bounds which are independent of m₁, …, m_c when c > 2 and p₁, …, p_c > 2.