Monotonicity of permanents of direct sums of doubly stochastic matrices

Let Ωn be the set of all n × n doubly stochastic matrices, let J_n be the n × n matrix all of whose entries are 1/n and let σ _k (A) denote the sum of the permanent of all k × k submatrices of A. It has been conjectured that if A ε Ω _n and A ≠ J_J then g_A,k (θ) ? σ _k ((1 θ)J_n 1 θA) is strictly increasing on [0,1] for k = 2,3,…,n. We show that if A = A ₁ ⊕ ⊕A_t (t ≥ 2) is an n × n matrix where A_i for i = 1,2, …,t, and if for each i g_Ai,ki (θ) is non-decreasing on [0.1] for k_t = 2,3,…,n_i , then g_A,k (θ) is strictly increasing on [0,1] for k = 2,3,…,n.     

On Spanning Disjoint Paths in Line Graphs

Spanning connectivity of graphs has been intensively investigated in the study of interconnection networks (Hsu and Lin, Graph Theory and Interconnection Networks, 2009). For a graph G and an integer s > 0 and for ${u, v \in V(G)}$ with u ≠ v, an (s; u, v)-path-system of G is a subgraph H consisting of s internally disjoint (u,v)-paths. A graph G is spanning s-connected if for any ${u, v \in V(G)}$ with u ≠ v, G has a spanning (s; u, v)-path-system. The spanning connectivity κ*(G) of a graph G is the largest integer s such that G has a spanning (k; u, v)-path-system, for any integer k with 1 ≤ k ≤ s, and for any ${u, v \in V(G)}$ with u ≠ v. An edge counter-part of κ*(G), defined as the supereulerian width of a graph G, has been investigated in Chen et al. (Supereulerian graphs with width s and s-collapsible graphs, 2012). In Catlin and Lai (Graph Theory, Combinatorics, and Applications, vol. 1, pp. 207–222, 1991) proved that if a graph G has 2 edge-disjoint spanning trees, and if L(G) is the line graph of G, then κ*(L(G)) ≥ 2 if and only if κ(L(G)) ≥ 3. In this paper, we extend this result and prove that for any integer k ≥ 2, if G ₀, the core of G, has k edge-disjoint spanning trees, then κ*(L(G)) ≥ k if and only if κ(L(G)) ≥ max{3, k}.     

Nowhere-Zero 3-Flows of Graphs with Independence Number Two

In this paper, we characterize all graphs with independence number at most 2 that admit nowhere-zero 3-flows.     

On Group Choosability of Total Graphs

In this paper, we study the group and list group colorings of total graphs and present group coloring versions of the total and list total colorings conjectures. We establish the group coloring version of the total coloring conjecture for the following classes of graphs: graphs with small maximum degree, two-degenerate graphs, planner graphs with maximum degree at least 11, planner graphs without certain small cycles, outerplanar graphs and near outerplanar graphs with maximum degree at least 4. In addition, the group version of the list total coloring conjecture is established for forests, outerplanar graphs and graphs with maximum degree at most two.     

Cropper's question and Cruse's theorem about partial Latin squares

In 1974 Cruse gave necessary and sufficient conditions for an r × s partial latin square P on symbols σ₁,σ₂,…,σ_t, which may have some unfilled cells, to be completable to an n × n latin square on symbols σ₁,σ₂,…,σ_n, subject to the condition that the unfilled cells of P must be filled with symbols chosen from {σ_{t + 1},σ_{t + 2},…,σ_n}. These conditions consisted of r + s + t + 1 inequalities. Hall's condition applied to partial latin squares is a necessary condition for their completion, and is a generalization of, and in the spirit of Hall's Condition for a system of distinct representatives. Cropper asked whether Hall's Condition might also be sufficient for the completion of partial latin squares, but we give here a counterexample to Cropper's speculation. We also show that the r + s + t + 1 inequalities of Cruse's Theorem may be replaced by just four inequalities, two of which are Hall inequalities for P (i.e. two of the inequalities which constitute Hall's Condition for P), and the other two are Hall inequalities for the conjugates of P. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 19:268‐279, 2011     

Solutions of the Cauchy problem for the 2-D Euler system with fan-shaped structure

We study the Cauchy problem for the isentropic 2-D Euler system with initial data having discontinuity on a smooth curve. A local existence of a solution is established, which consists of shock wave, rarefaction wave and contact discontinuity.     

Supereulerian graphs and the Petersen graph

A graphG is supereulerian if G has a spanning eulerian subgraph.Boesch et al.[J.Graph Theory,1,79–84(1977)]proposed the problem of characterizing supereulerian graphs.In this paper,we prove that any 3-edge-connected graph with at most 11 edge-cuts of size 3 is supereulerian if and only if it cannot be contractible to the Petersen graph.This extends a former result of Catlin and Lai[J.Combin.Theory,Ser.B,66,123–139(1996)].