A unified proof of Brooks’ theorem and Catlin’s theorem

Brooks’ theorem is a fundamental result in the theory of graph coloring. Catlin proved the following strengthening of Brooks’ theorem: Let d$d$ be an integer at least 3, and let G$G$ be a graph with maximum degree d$d$. If G$G$ does not contain _Kd+1$K_{d+1}$ as a subgraph, then G$G$ has a d$d$-coloring in which one color class has size α(G)$\alpha \left(G\right)$. Here α(G)$\alpha \left(G\right)$ denotes the independence number of G$G$. We give a unified proof of Brooks’ theorem and Catlin’s theorem.     

The Laplacian polynomial and Kirchhoff index of graphs derived from regular graphs

Let R(G)$R\left(G\right)$ be the graph obtained from G$G$ by adding a new vertex corresponding to each edge of G$G$ and by joining each new vertex to the end vertices of the corresponding edge, and Q(G)$Q\left(G\right)$ be the graph obtained from G$G$ by inserting a new vertex into every edge of G$G$ and by joining by edges those pairs of these new vertices which lie on adjacent edges of G$G$. In this paper, we determine the Laplacian polynomials of R(G)$R\left(G\right)$ and Q(G)$Q\left(G\right)$ of a regular graph G$G$; on the other hand, we derive formulae and lower bounds of the Kirchhoff index of these graphs.     

[1, 2]-sets in graphs

A subset S⊆V$S\subseteq V$ in a graph G=(V,E)$G=(V,E)$ is a [j,k]$[j,k]$-set if, for every vertex v∈V?S$v\in V?S$, j≤|N(v)∩S|≤k$j\le |N\left(v\right)\cap S|\le k$ for non-negative integers j$j$ and k$k$, that is, every vertex v∈V?S$v\in V?S$ is adjacent to at least j$j$ but not more than k$k$ vertices in S$S$. In this paper, we focus on small j$j$ and k$k$, and relate the concept of [j,k]$[j,k]$-sets to a host of other concepts in domination theory, including perfect domination, efficient domination, nearly perfect sets, 2-packings, and k$k$-dependent sets. We also determine bounds on the cardinality of minimum [1, 2]-sets, and investigate extremal graphs achieving these bounds. This study has implications for restrained domination as well. Using a result for [1, 3]-sets, we show that, for any grid graph G$G$, the restrained domination number is equal to the domination number of G$G$.     

On the complexity of the bondage and reinforcement problems

Let G=(V,E)$G=(V,E)$ be a graph. A subset D⊆V$D\subseteq V$ is a dominating set if every vertex not in D$D$ is adjacent to a vertex in D$D$. A dominating set D$D$ is called a total dominating set if every vertex in D$D$ is adjacent to a vertex in D$D$. The domination (resp. total domination) number of G$G$ is the smallest cardinality of a dominating (resp. total dominating) set of G$G$. The bondage (resp. total bondage) number of a nonempty graph G$G$ is the smallest number of edges whose removal from G$G$ results in a graph with larger domination (resp. total domination) number of G$G$. The reinforcement (resp. total reinforcement) number of G$G$ is the smallest number of edges whose addition to G$G$ results in a graph with smaller domination (resp. total domination) number. This paper shows that the decision problems for the bondage, total bondage, reinforcement and total reinforcement numbers are all NP-hard.     

Comment on “Kirchhoff index in line,subdivision and total graphs of a regular graph”

Let G$G$ be a connected regular graph. Denoted by t(G)$t\left(G\right)$ and Kf(G)$Kf\left(G\right)$ the total graph and Kirchhoff index of G$G$, respectively. This paper is to point out that Theorem 3.7 and Corollary 3.8 from “Kirchhoff index in line, subdivision and total graphs of a regular graph” [X. Gao, Y.F. Luo, W.W. Liu, Kirchhoff index in line, subdivision and total graphs of a regular graph, Discrete Appl. Math. 160(2012) 560–565] are incorrect, since the conclusion of a lemma is essentially wrong. Moreover, we first show the Laplacian characteristic polynomial of t(G)$t\left(G\right)$, where G$G$ is a regular graph. Consequently, by using Kf(G)$Kf\left(G\right)$, we give an expression on Kf(t(G))$Kf\left(t\left(G\right)\right)$ and a lower bound on Kf(t(G))$Kf\left(t\left(G\right)\right)$ of a regular graph G$G$, which correct Theorem 3.7 and Corollary 3.8 in Gao et al. (2012)  [2].     

Fixed point theorems for Reich type contractions on metric spaces with a graph

Let (X,d)$(X,d)$ be a metric space endowed with a graph G$G$ such that the set V(G)$V\left(G\right)$ of vertices of G$G$ coincides with X$X$. We define the notion of G$G$-Reich type maps and obtain a fixed point theorem for such mappings. This extends and subsumes many recent results which were obtained for other contractive type mappings on ordered metric spaces and for cyclic operators.     

On testing Hamiltonicity of graphs

Let us fix a function f(n)=o(nlnn)$f\left(n\right)=o(nlnn)$ and real numbers 0≤α<β≤1$0\le \alpha <\beta \le 1$. We present a polynomial time algorithm which, given a directed graph G$G$ with n$n$ vertices, decides either that one can add at most βn$\beta n$ new edges to G$G$ so that G$G$ acquires a Hamiltonian circuit or that one cannot add αn$\alpha n$ or fewer new edges to G$G$ so that G$G$ acquires at least e^−f(n)n!$e^{-f\left(n\right)}n!$ Hamiltonian circuits, or both.     

Resolving sets for Johnson and Kneser graphs

A set of vertices S$S$ in a graph G$G$ is a resolving set   for G$G$ if, for any two vertices u,v$u,v$, there exists x∈S$x\in S$ such that the distances d(u,x)≠d(v,x)$d(u,x)\ne d(v,x)$. In this paper, we consider the Johnson graphs J(n,k)$J(n,k)$ and Kneser graphs K(n,k)$K(n,k)$, and obtain various constructions of resolving sets for these graphs. As well as general constructions, we show that various interesting combinatorial objects can be used to obtain resolving sets in these graphs, including (for Johnson graphs) projective planes and symmetric designs, as well as (for Kneser graphs) partial geometries, Hadamard matrices, Steiner systems and toroidal grids.     

Crossing number additivity over edge cuts

Consider a graph G$G$ with a minimal edge cut F$F$ and let _G1$G_1$, _G2$G_2$ be the two (augmented) components of G−F$G-F$. A long-open question asks under which conditions the crossing number of G$G$ is (greater than or) equal to the sum of the crossing numbers of _G1$G_1$ and _G2$G_2$—which would allow us to consider those graphs separately. It is known that crossing number is additive for |F|∈{0,1,2}$\left|F\right|\in \{0,1,2\}$ and that there exist graphs violating this property with |F|≥4$\left|F\right|\ge 4$. In this paper, we show that crossing number is additive for |F|=3$\left|F\right|=3$, thus closing the final gap in the question.     

Bounds on the connected domination number of a graph

A subset S$S$ of vertices in a graph G=(V,E)$G=(V,E)$ is a connected dominating set of G$G$ if every vertex of V?S$V?S$ is adjacent to a vertex in S$S$ and the subgraph induced by S$S$ is connected. The minimum cardinality of a connected dominating set of G$G$ is the connected domination number _γc(G)${\gamma }_c\left(G\right)$. The girth g(G)$g\left(G\right)$ is the length of a shortest cycle in G$G$. We show that if G$G$ is a connected graph that contains at least one cycle, then _γc(G)≥g(G)−2${\gamma }_c\left(G\right)\ge g\left(G\right)-2$, and we characterize the graphs obtaining equality in this bound. We also establish various upper bounds on the connected domination number of a graph, as well as Nordhaus–Gaddum type results.     

A new upper bound on the acyclic chromatic indices of planar graphs

An acyclic edge coloring of a graph G$G$ is a proper edge coloring such that no bichromatic cycles are produced. The acyclic chromatic index a^′(G)$a^{\prime }\left(G\right)$ of G$G$ is the smallest integer k$k$ such that G$G$ has an acyclic edge coloring using k$k$ colors. It was conjectured that a^′(G)≤Δ+2$a^{\prime }\left(G\right)\le \Delta +2$ for any simple graph G$G$ with maximum degree Δ$\Delta$. In this paper, we prove that if G$G$ is a planar graph, then a^′(G)≤Δ+7$a^{\prime }\left(G\right)\le \Delta +7$. This improves a result by Basavaraju et al. [M. Basavaraju, L.S. Chandran, N. Cohen, F. Havet, T. Müller, Acyclic edge-coloring of planar graphs, SIAM J. Discrete Math. 25 (2011) 463–478], which says that every planar graph G$G$ satisfies a^′(G)≤Δ+12$a^{\prime }\left(G\right)\le \Delta +12$.