Wings and perfect graphs

An edge uv of a graph G is called a wing if there exists a chordless path with vertices u, v, x, y and edges uv, vx, xy. The wing-graph W(G) of a graph G is a graph having the same vertex set as G; uv is an edge in W(G) if and only if uv is a wing in G. A graph G is saturated if G is isomorphic to W(G). A star-cutset in a graph G is a non-empty set of vertices such that G — C is disconnected and some vertex in C is adjacent to all the remaining vertices in C. V. Chvátal proposed to call a graph unbreakable if neither G nor its complement contain a star-cutset. We establish several properties of unbreakable graphs using the notions of wings and saturation. In particular, we obtain seven equivalent versions of the Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture.     

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.     

Random packing by ρ-connected ρ-regular graphs

A graph G is packable by the graph F if its edges can be partitioned into copies of F. If deleting the edges of any F-packable subgraph from G leaves an F-packable graph, then G is randomly F-packable. If G is F-packable but not randomly F-packable then G is F-forbidden. The minimal F-forbidden graphs provide a characterization of randomly F-packable graphs. We show that for each ρ-connected ρ-regular graph F with ρ > 1, there is a set (F) of minimal F-forbidden graphs of a simple form, such that any other minimal F-forbidden graph can be obtained from a graph in (F) by a process of identifying vertices and removing copies of F. When F is a connected strongly edge-transitive graph having more than one edge (such as a cycle or hypercube), there is only one graph in (F).     

Subgraph distances in graphs defined by edge transfers

For two edge-induced subgraphs F and H of the same size in a graph G, the subgraph H can be obtained from F by an edge jump if there exist four distinct vertices u, v, w, and x in G such that uv ε E(F), wx ε E(G) - E(F), and H = F - uv + wx. The subgraph F is j-transformed into H if H can be obtained from F by a sequence of edge jumps. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented for a graph G to have the property that every edge-induced subgraph of a fixed size in G can be j-transformed into every other edge-induced subgraph of that size. The minimum number of edge jumps required to transform one subgraph into another is called the jump distance. This distance is a metric and can be modeled by a graph. The jump graph J(G) of a graph G is defined as that graph whose vertices are the edges of G and where two vertices of J(G) are adjacent if and only if the corresponding edges of G are independent. For a given graph G, we consider the sequence {{J^k(G)}} of iterated jump graphs and classify each graph as having a convergent, divergent, or terminating sequence.     

Polynomially solvable cases for the maximum stable set problem

We describe two classes of graphs for which the stability number can be computed in polynomial time. The first approach is based on an iterative procedure which, at each step, builds from a graph G a new graph G′ which has fewer vertices and has the property that (G′) = (G) − 1. For the second class, it can be decided in polynomial time whether there exists a stable set of given size k.     

A note on minimum degree conditions for supereulerian graphs

A graph is called supereulerian if it has a spanning closed trail. Let G be a 2-edge-connected graph of order n such that each minimal edge cut SE(G) with |S|3 satisfies the property that each component of G−S has order at least (n−2)/5. We prove that either G is supereulerian or G belongs to one of two classes of exceptional graphs. Our results slightly improve earlier results of Catlin and Li. Furthermore, our main result implies the following strengthening of a theorem of Lai within the class of graphs with minimum degree δ4: If G is a 2-edge-connected graph of order n with δ(G)4 such that for every edge xyE(G) , we have max{d(x),d(y)}(n−2)/5−1, then either G is supereulerian or G belongs to one of two classes of exceptional graphs. We show that the condition δ(G)4 cannot be relaxed.     

The coordinate representation of a graph and n-universal graph of radius 1

Every graph can be represented as the intersection graph on a family of closed unit cubes in Euclidean space Eⁿ. Cube vertices have integer coordinates. The coordinate matrix, A(G)={v_nk} of a graph G is defined by the set of cube coordinates. The imbedded dimension of a graph, Bp(G), is a number of columns in matrix A(G) such that each of them has at least two distinct elements v_nk≠v_pk. We show that Bp(G)=cub(G) for some graphs, and Bp(G)n−2 for any graph G on n vertices. The coordinate matrix uses to obtain the graph U of radius 1 with 3ⁿ⁻² vertices that contains as an induced subgraph a copy of any graph on n vertices.     

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.     

Weighted domination in triangle-free graphs

A weighted graph (G,w) is a graph G together with a positive weight-function on its vertex set w : V(G)→R^>0. The weighted domination number γ_w(G) of (G,w) is the minimum weight w(D)=∑_vDw(v) of a set DV(G) such that every vertex xV(D)−D has a neighbor in D. If ∑_vV(G)w(v)=|V(G)|, then we speak of a normed weighted graph. Recently, we proved that

for normed weighted bipartite graphs (G,w) of order n such that neither G nor the complement has isolated vertices. In this paper we will extend these Nordhaus–Gaddum-type results to triangle-free graphs.     

On the minor-minimal 2-connected graphs having a fixed minor

Let H be a graph with κ₁ components and κ₂ blocks, and let G be a minor-minimal 2-connected graph having H as a minor. This paper proves that |E(G)|−|E(H)|(κ₁−1)+β(κ₂−1) for all (,β) such that +β5,2+5β20, and β3. Moreover, if one of the last three inequalities fails, then there are graphs G and H for which the first inequality fails.     

The chromatic difference sequence of the Cartesian product of graphs

The chromatic difference sequence cds(G) of a graph G with chromatic number n is defined by cds(G) = (a(1), a(2),…, a(n)) if the sum of a(1), a(2),…, a(t) is the maximum number of vertices in an induced t-colorable subgraph of G for t = 1, 2,…, n. The Cartesian product of two graphs G and H, denoted by G□H, has the vertex set V(G□H = V(G) x V(H) and its edge set is given by (x₁, y₁)(x₂, y₂) ε E(G□H) if either x₁ = x₂ and y₁ y₂ ε E(H) or y₁ = y₂ and x₁x₂ ε E(G).

We obtained four main results: the cds of the product of bipartite graphs, the cds of the product of graphs with cds being nondrop flat and first-drop flat, the non-increasing theorem for powers of graphs and cds of powers of circulant graphs.     

Number of minimum vertex cuts in transitive graphs

Let G be a k-regular vertex transitive graph with connectivity κ(G)=k and let m_k(G) be the number of vertex cuts with k vertices. Define m(n,k)=min{m_k(G): GT_n,k}, where T_n,k denotes the set of all k-regular vertex transitive graphs on n vertices with κ(G)=k. In this paper, we determine the exact values of m(n,k).     

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.     

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.     

Some properties of minimal imperfect graphs

The Even Pair Lemma, proved by Meyniel, states that no minimal imperfect graph contains a pair of vertices such that all chordless paths joining them have even lengths. This Lemma has proved to be very useful in the theory of perfect graphs. The Odd Pair Conjecture, with ‘even’ replaced by ‘odd’, is the natural analogue of the Even Pair Lemma. We prove a partial result for this conjecture, namely: no minimal imperfect graph G contains a three-pair, i.e. two nonadjacent vertices u₁, u₂ such that all chordless paths of G joining u₁ to u₂ contain precisely three edges. As a by-product, we obtain short proofs of two previously known theorems: the first one is a well-known theorem of Meyniel (a graph is perfect if each of its odd cycles with at least five vertices contains at least two chords), the second one is a theorem of Olariu (a graph is perfect if it contains no odd antihole, no P₅ and no extended claw as induced subgraphs).     

Pseudo-Hamiltonian-connected graphs

Given a graph G and a positive integer k, denote by G[k] the graph obtained from G by replacing each vertex of G with an independent set of size k. A graph G is called pseudo-k Hamiltonian-connected if G[k] is Hamiltonian-connected, i.e., every two distinct vertices of G[k] are connected by a Hamiltonian path. A graph G is called pseudo Hamiltonian-connected if it is pseudo-k Hamiltonian-connected for some positive integer k. This paper proves that a graph G is pseudo-Hamiltonian-connected if and only if for every non-empty proper subset X of V(G), |N(X)|>|X|. The proof of the characterization also provides a polynomial-time algorithm that decides whether or not a given graph is pseudo-Hamiltonian-connected. The characterization of pseudo-Hamiltonian-connected graphs also answers a question of Richard Nowakowski, which motivated this paper.     

Algorithmic aspects of clique-transversal and clique-independent sets

A minimum clique-transversal set MCT(G) of a graph G=(V,E) is a set SV of minimum cardinality that meets all maximal cliques in G. A maximum clique-independent set MCI(G) of G is a set of maximum number of pairwise vertex-disjoint maximal cliques. We prove that the problem of finding an MCT(G) and an MCI(G) is NP-hard for cocomparability, planar, line and total graphs. As an interesting corollary we obtain that the problem of finding a minimum number of elements of a poset to meet all maximal antichains of the poset remains NP-hard even if the poset has height two, thereby generalizing a result of Duffas et al. (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 58 (1991) 158–164). We present a polynomial algorithm for the above problems on Helly circular-arc graphs which is the first such algorithm for a class of graphs that is not clique-perfect. We also present polynomial algorithms for the weighted version of the clique-transversal problem on strongly chordal graphs, chordal graphs of bounded clique size, and cographs. The algorithms presented run in linear time for strongly chordal graphs and cographs. These mark the first attempts at the weighted version of the problem.     

The integrity of a cubic graph

Integrity, a measure of network reliability, is defined as

where G is a graph with vertex set V and m(G−S) denotes the order of the largest component of G−S. We prove an upper bound of the following form on the integrity of any cubic graph with n vertices:

Moreover, there exist an infinite family of connected cubic graphs whose integrity satisfies a linear lower bound I(G)>βn for some constant β. We provide a value for β, but it is likely not best possible. To prove the upper bound we first solve the following extremal problem. What is the least number of vertices in a cubic graph whose removal results in an acyclic graph? The solution (with a few minor exceptions) is that n/3 vertices suffice and this is best possible.     

Matching extension and minimum degree

Let G be a simple connected graph on 2n vertices with a perfect matching. For a given positive integer k, 1 k n − 1, G is k-extendable if for every matching M of size k in G, there exists a perfect matching in G containing all the edges of M. The problem that arises is that of characterizing k-extendable graphs. In this paper, we establish a necessary condition, in terms of minimum degree, for k-extendable graphs. Further, we determine the set of realizable values for minimum degree of k-extendable graphs. In addition, we establish some results on bipartite graphs including a sufficient condition for a bipartite graph to be k-extendable.     

Hamiltonian cycles in n-factor-critical graphs

A graph G is said to be n-factor-critical if G−S has a 1-factor for any SV(G) with |S|=n. In this paper, we prove that if G is a 2-connected n-factor-critical graph of order p with , then G is hamiltonian with some exceptions. To extend this theorem, we define a (k,n)-factor-critical graph to be a graph G such that G−S has a k-factor for any SV(G) with |S|=n. We conjecture that if G is a 2-connected (k,n)-factor-critical graph of order p with , then G is hamiltonian with some exceptions. In this paper, we characterize all such graphs that satisfy the assumption, but are not 1-tough. Using this, we verify the conjecture for k2.