On the complexity of a family of generalized matching problems

We consider a family of generalized matching problems called k-feasible matching (k-RM) problems, where k? {1,2,3,…} ∪ {∞}. We show each k-FM problem to be NP-complete even for very restricted cases. We develop a dynamic programming algorithm that solves in polynomial time the k-FM problem for graphs with width bounded by 2k. We also show that for any subset S of {1,2,…} ∪ {∞}, there is a set D of problem instances such that for k in S the k-FM problem is NP-complete on D, while for k not in S the k-FM problem is polynomially solvable on D.     

On k-planar crossing numbers

The k-planar crossing number of a graph is the minimum number of crossings of its edges over all possible drawings of the graph in k planes. We propose algorithms and methods for k-planar drawings of general graphs together with lower bound techniques. We give exact results for the k-planar crossing number of K_2k+1,q, for k?2. We prove tight bounds for complete graphs. We also study the rectilinear k-planar crossing number.     

Convex Partitions of Graphs

A set of vertices S of a graph G is convex if all vertices of every geodesic between two of its vertices are in S. We say that G is k-convex if V(G) can be partitioned into k convex sets. The convex partition number of G is the least k ⩾ 2 for which G is k-convex. In this paper we examine k-convexity of graphs. We show that it is NP-complete to decide if G is k-convex, for any fixed k ⩾ 2. We describe a characterization for k-convex cographs, leading to a polynomial time algorithm to recognize if a cograph is k-convex. Finally, we discuss k-convexity for disconnected graphs.     

Properties of vertex cover obstructions

We study properties of the sets of minimal forbidden minors for the families of graphs having a vertex cover of size at most k. We denote this set by O(k-VERTEX COVER) and call it the set of obstructions. Our main result is to give a tight vertex bound of O(k-VERTEX COVER), and then confirm a conjecture made by Liu Xiong that there is a unique connected obstruction with maximum number of vertices for k-VERTEX COVER and this graph is C_2k+1. We also find two iterative methods to generate graphs in O((k+1)-VERTEX COVER) from any graph in O(k-VERTEX COVER).     

Contraction obstructions for treewidth

We provide two parameterized graphs Γk, Πk with the following property: for every positive integer k, there is a constant ck such that every graph G with treewidth at least ck, contains one of Kk, Γk, Πk as a contraction, where Kk is a complete graph on k vertices. These three parameterized graphs can be seen as “obstruction patterns” for the treewidth with respect to the contraction partial ordering. We also present some refinements of this result along with their algorithmic consequences.     

On the uniform edge-partition of a tree

We study the problem of uniformly partitioning the edge set of a tree with n edges into k connected components, where k?n. The objective is to minimize the ratio of the maximum to the minimum number of edges of the subgraphs in the partition. We show that, for any tree and k?4, there exists a k-split with ratio at most two. For general k, we propose a simple algorithm that finds a k-split with ratio at most three in O(nlogk) time. Experimental results on random trees are also shown.     

The level polynomials of the free distributive lattices

We show that there exist a set of polynomials {L_k?k = 0, 1?} such that L_k(n) is the number of elements of rank k in the free distributive lattice on n generators. L₀(n) = L₁(n) = 1 for all n and the degree of L_k is k?1 for k?1. We show that the coefficients of the L_k can be calculated using another family of polynomials, P_j. We show how to calculate L_k for k = 1,…,16 and P_j for j = 0,…,10. These calculations are enough to determine the number of elements of each rank in the free distributive lattice on 5 generators a result first obtained by Church [2]. We also calculate the asymptotic behavior of the L_k's and P_j's.     

On the chromatic number of q-Kneser graphs

We show that the q-Kneser graph qK _2k:k (the graph on the k-subspaces of a 2k-space over GF(q), where two k-spaces are adjacent when they intersect trivially), has chromatic number q ^k ?+?q ^k?1 for k?=?3 and for k < q log q ? q. We obtain detailed results on maximal cocliques for k = 3.     

On the Hopf–Schur group of a field

Let k be any field. We consider the Hopf–Schur group of k, defined as the subgroup of the Brauer group of k consisting of classes that may be represented by homomorphic images of finite-dimensional Hopf algebras over k. We show here that twisted group algebras and abelian extensions of k are quotients of cocommutative and commutative finite-dimensional Hopf algebras over k, respectively. As a consequence we prove that any tensor product of cyclic algebras over k is a quotient of a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra over k, revealing so that the Hopf–Schur group can be much larger than the Schur group of k.     

Triangulating and guarding realistic polygons

We propose a new model of realistic input: k-guardable objects. An object is k-guardable if its boundary can be seen by k guards. We show that k-guardable polygons generalize two previously identified classes of realistic input. Following this, we give two simple algorithms for triangulating k-guardable polygons. One algorithm requires the guards as input while the other does not. Both take linear time assuming that k is constant and both are easily implementable.     

Convex curves moving translationally in the plane

We show that a nontrivial homothetic self-similar solution can happen only when F(k)=kα or F(k)=−k−α. We also derive a parametric representation of a translational self-similar solution. A translational self-similar solution may have self-intersections but cannot be a simple closed curve for any F(k).     

On a problem of Recaman and its generalization

We solve some cases of a conjecture of Pomerance concerning reduced residue systems modulo k consisting of the first φ(k) primes not dividing k. We cover the case when k is a prime, thus giving a complete solution to a problem of Recaman.     

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.     

On low degree k-ordered graphs

A simple graph G is k-ordered (respectively, k-ordered hamiltonian) if, for any sequence of k distinct vertices v₁,…,v_k of G, there exists a cycle (respectively, a hamiltonian cycle) in G containing these k vertices in the specified order. In 1997 Ng and Schultz introduced these concepts of cycle orderability, and motivated by the fact that k-orderedness of a graph implies (k-1)-connectivity, they posed the question of the existence of low degree k-ordered hamiltonian graphs. We construct an infinite family of graphs, which we call bracelet graphs, that are (k-1)-regular and are k-ordered hamiltonian for odd k. This result provides the best possible answer to the question of the existence of low degree k-ordered hamiltonian graphs for odd k. We further show that for even k, there exist no k-ordered bracelet graphs with minimum degree k-1 and maximum degree less than k+2, and we exhibit an infinite family of bracelet graphs with minimum degree k-1 and maximum degree k+2 that are k-ordered for even k. A concept related to k-orderedness, namely that of k-edge-orderedness, is likewise strongly related to connectivity properties. We study this relation and give bounds on the connectivity necessary to imply k-(edge-)orderedness properties.     

Large non-planar graphs and an application to crossing-critical graphs

We prove that, for every positive integer k, there is an integer N such that every 4-connected non-planar graph with at least N vertices has a minor isomorphic to K4,k, the graph obtained from a cycle of length 2k+1 by adding an edge joining every pair of vertices at distance exactly k, or the graph obtained from a cycle of length k by adding two vertices adjacent to each other and to every vertex on the cycle. We also prove a version of this for subdivisions rather than minors, and relax the connectivity to allow 3-cuts with one side planar and of bounded size. We deduce that for every integer k there are only finitely many 3-connected 2-crossing-critical graphs with no subdivision isomorphic to the graph obtained from a cycle of length 2k by joining all pairs of diagonally opposite vertices.     

Cayley Cages

A (k,g)-Cayley cage is a k-regular Cayley graph of girth g and smallest possible order. We present an explicit construction of (k,g)-Cayley graphs for all parameters k≥2 and g≥3 and generalize this construction to show that many well-known small k-regular graphs of girth g can be constructed in this way. We also establish connections between this construction and topological graph theory, and address the question of the order of (k,g)-Cayley cages.     

On powers associated with Sierpiński numbers, Riesel numbers and Polignac's conjecture

We address conjectures of P. Erd?s and conjectures of Y.-G. Chen concerning the numbers in the title. We obtain a variety of related results, including a new smallest positive integer that is simultaneously a Sierpiński number and a Riesel number and a proof that for every positive integer r, there is an integer k such that the numbers k,k²,k³,…,kr are simultaneously Sierpiński numbers.     

Highly connected monochromatic subgraphs

We conjecture that for n>4(k-1) every 2-coloring of the edges of the complete graph K_n contains a k-connected monochromatic subgraph with at least n-2(k-1) vertices. This conjecture, if true, is best possible. Here we prove it for k=2, and show how to reduce it to the case n<7k-6. We prove the following result as well: for n>16k every 2-colored K_n contains a k-connected monochromatic subgraph with at least n-12k vertices.     

Minimal and maximal operator spaces and operator systems in entanglement theory

We examine k-minimal and k-maximal operator spaces and operator systems, and investigate their relationships with the separability problem in quantum information theory. We show that the matrix norms that define the k-minimal operator spaces are equal to a family of norms that have been studied independently as a tool for detecting k-positive linear maps and bound entanglement. Similarly, we investigate the k-super minimal and k-super maximal operator systems that were recently introduced and show that their cones of positive elements are exactly the cones of k-block positive operators and (unnormalized) states with Schmidt number no greater than k, respectively. We characterize a class of norms on the k-super minimal operator systems and show that the completely bounded versions of these norms provide a criterion for testing the Schmidt number of a quantum state that generalizes the recently-developed separability criterion based on trace-contractive maps.     

On a combinatorial property of choice functions of finite sets

We consider choice functions k[X]→X, where X is a finite set and k[X] denotes the set of all k-subsets of X. We define a property of domination for such maps generalizing the classical case k=2 (tournaments) and prove the existence of a dominating element generalizing the existence of a 2-root (king) in the classical case.