Pancyclicity mod k of claw-free graphs and K1,4-free graphs

For any natural number k, a graph G is said to be pancyclic mod k if it contains a cycle of every length modulo k. In this paper, we show that every K_1,4-free graph G with minimum degree δ(G)k+3 is pancyclic mod k and every claw-free graph G with δ(G)k+1 is pancyclic mod k, which confirms Thomassen's conjecture (J. Graph Theory 7 (1983) 261–271) for claw-free graphs.     

ContributionsUpper domination and upper irredundance perfect graphs

Let β(G), Γ(G) and IR(G) be the independence number, the upper domination number and the upper irredundance number, respectively. A graph G is calledΓ-perfect if β(H) = Γ(H), for every induced subgraph H of G. A graph G is called IR-perfect if Γ(H) = IR(H), for every induced subgraph H of G. In this paper, we present a characterization of Γ-perfect graphs in terms of a family of forbidden induced subgraphs, and show that the class of Γ-perfect graphs is a subclass of IR-perfect graphs and that the class of absorbantly perfect graphs is a subclass of Γ-perfect graphs. These results imply a number of known theorems on Γ-perfect graphs and IR-perfect graphs. Moreover, we prove a sufficient condition for a graph to be Γ-perfect and IR-perfect which improves a known analogous result.     

Graphs having distance-n domination number half their order

For any positive integer n and any graph G a set D of vertices of G is a distance-n dominating set, if every vertex vV(G)−D has exactly distance n to at least one vertex in D. The distance-n domination number γ_=n(G) is the smallest number of vertices in any distance-n dominating set. If G is a graph of order p and each vertex in G has distance n to at least one vertex in G, then the distance-n domination number has the upper bound p/2 as Ore's upper bound on the classical domination number. In this paper, a characterization is given for graphs having distance-n domination number equal to half their order, when the diameter is greater or equal 2n−1. With this result we confirm a conjecture of Boland, Haynes, and Lawson.     

Least domination in a graph

The least domination number γ_L of a graph G is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G whose domination number is minimum. The least point covering number _L of G is the minimum cardinality of a total point cover (point cover including every isolated vertex of G) whose total point covering number is minimum. We prove a conjecture of Sampathkumar saying that in every connected graph of order n 2. We disprove another one saying that γ_{L L} in every graph but instead of it, we establish the best possible inequality . Finally, in relation with the minimum cardinality γ_t of a dominating set without isolated vertices (total dominating set), we prove that the ratio γ_L/γ_t can be in general arbitrarily large, but remains bounded by if we restrict ourselves to the class of trees.     

Choosability conjectures and multicircuits

This paper starts with a discussion of several old and new conjectures about choosability in graphs. In particular, the list-colouring conjecture, that ch′=χ′ for every multigraph, is shown to imply that if a line graph is (a : b)-choosable, then it is (ta : tb)-choosable for every positive integer t. It is proved that ch(H²)=χ(H²) for many “small” graphs H, including inflations of all circuits (connected 2-regular graphs) with length at most 11 except possibly length 9; and that ch″(C)=χ″(C) (the total chromatic number) for various multicircuits C, mainly of even order, where a multicircuit is a multigraph whose underlying simple graph is a circuit. In consequence, it is shown that if any of the corresponding graphs H² or T(C) is (a : b)-choosable, then it is (ta : tb)-choosable for every positive integer t.     

No-hole L(2,1)-colorings

An L(2,1)-coloring of a graph G is a coloring of G's vertices with integers in {0,1,…,k} so that adjacent vertices’ colors differ by at least two and colors of distance-two vertices differ. We refer to an L(2,1)-coloring as a coloring. The span λ(G) of G is the smallest k for which G has a coloring, a span coloring is a coloring whose greatest color is λ(G), and the hole index ρ(G) of G is the minimum number of colors in {0,1,…,λ(G)} not used in a span coloring. We say that G is full-colorable if ρ(G)=0. More generally, a coloring of G is a no-hole coloring if it uses all colors between 0 and its maximum color. Both colorings and no-hole colorings were motivated by channel assignment problems. We define the no-hole span μ(G) of G as ∞ if G has no no-hole coloring; otherwise μ(G) is the minimum k for which G has a no-hole coloring using colors in {0,1,…,k}.

Let n denote the number of vertices of G, and let Δ be the maximum degree of vertices of G. Prior work shows that all non-star trees with Δ3 are full-colorable, all graphs G with n=λ(G)+1 are full-colorable, μ(G)λ(G)+ρ(G) if G is not full-colorable and nλ(G)+2, and G has a no-hole coloring if and only if nλ(G)+1. We prove two extremal results for colorings. First, for every m1 there is a G with ρ(G)=m and μ(G)=λ(G)+m. Second, for every m2 there is a connected G with λ(G)=2m, n=λ(G)+2 and ρ(G)=m.     

ContributionsAcyclic graphoidal covers and path partitions in a graph

An acyclic graphoidal cover of a graph G is a collection ψ of paths in G such that every path in ψ has at least two vertices, every vertex of G is an internal vertex of at most one path in ψ and every edge of G is in exactly one path in ψ. The minimum cardinality of an acyclic graphoidal cover of G is called the acyclic graphoidal covering number of G and is denoted by η_a. A path partition of a graph G is a collection P of paths in G such that every edge of G is in exactly one path in P. The minimum cardinality of a path partition of G is called the path partition number of G and is denoted by π. In this paper we determine η_a and π for several classes of graphs and obtain a characterization of all graphs with Δ 4 and η_a = Δ − 1. We also obtain a characterization of all graphs for which η_a = π.     

Block graphs with unique minimum dominating sets

For any graph G a set D of vertices of G is a dominating set, if every vertex vV(G)−D has at least one neighbor in D. The domination number γ(G) is the smallest number of vertices in any dominating set. In this paper, a characterization is given for block graphs having a unique minimum dominating set. With this result, we generalize a theorem of Gunther, Hartnell, Markus and Rall for trees.     

Degree conditions for Hamiltonian graphs to have [a,b]-factors containing a given Hamiltonian cycle

Let 1a<b be integers and G a Hamiltonian graph of order |G|(a+b)(2a+b)/b. Suppose that δ(G)a+2 and max{deg_G(x), deg_G(y)}a|G|/(a+b)+2 for each pair of nonadjacent vertices x and y in G. Then G has an [a,b]-factor which is edge-disjoint from a given Hamiltonian cycle. The lower bound on the degree condition is sharp. For the case of odd a=b, there exists a graph satisfying the conditions of the theorem but having no desired factor. As consequences, we have the degree conditions for Hamiltonian graphs to have [a,b]-factors containing a given Hamiltonian cycle.     

Graphs whose acyclic graphoidal covering number is one less than its maximum degree

An acyclic graphoidal cover of a graph G is a collection ψ of paths in G such that every path in ψ has at least two vertices, every vertex of G is an internal vertex of at most one path in ψ and every edge of G is in exactly one path in ψ. The minimum cardinality of an acyclic graphoidal cover of G is called the acyclic graphoidal covering number of G and is denoted by η_a. In this paper we characterize the class of graphs G for which η_a=Δ−1 where Δ is the maximum degree of a vertex in G.