The convex hull of degree sequences of signed graphs

As shown in [D. Hoffman, H. Jordon, Signed graph factors and degree sequences, J. Graph Theory 52 (2006) 27-36], the degree sequences of signed graphs can be characterized by a system of linear inequalities. The set of all n-tuples satisfying this system of linear inequalities is a polytope P_n. In this paper, we show that P_n is the convex hull of the set of degree sequences of signed graphs of order n. We also determine many properties of P_n, including a characterization of its vertices. The convex hull of imbalance sequences of digraphs is also investigated using the characterization given in [D. Mubayi, T.G. Will, D.B. West, Realizing degree imbalances of directed graphs, Discrete Math. 239 (2001) 147-153].     

On vertex symmetric digraphs

The problem of how “near” we can come to a n-coloring of a given graph is investigated. I.e., what is the minimum possible number of edges joining equicolored vertices if we color the vertices of a given graph with n colors. In its generality the problem of finding such an optimal color assignment to the vertices (given the graph and the number of colors) is NP-complete. For each graph G, however, colors can be assigned to the vertices in such a way that the number of offending edges is less than the total number of edges divided by the number of colors. Furthermore, an Ω(epn) deterministic algorithm for finding such an n-color assignment is exhibited where e is the number of edges and p is the number of vertices of the graph (e?p?n). A priori solutions for the minimal number of offending edges are given for complete graphs; similarly for equicolored K_m in K_p and equicolored graphs in K_p.     

Light subgraphs in the family of 1-planar graphs with high minimum degree

A graph is 1-planar if it can be drawn in the plane so that each edge is crossed by at most one other edge. In this paper, it is shown that each 1-planar graph with minimum degree 7 contains a copy of K2∨(K1∪K2) with all vertices of degree at most 12. In addition, we also prove the existence of a graph K1∨(K1∪K2 ) with relatively small degree vertices in 1-planar graphs with minimum degree at least 6.     

Hamilton cycles in claw-heavy graphs

A graph G on n≥3 vertices is called claw-heavy if every induced claw (K_1,3) of G has a pair of nonadjacent vertices such that their degree sum is at least n. In this paper we show that a claw-heavy graph G has a Hamilton cycle if we impose certain additional conditions on G involving numbers of common neighbors of some specific pair of nonadjacent vertices, or forbidden induced subgraphs. Our results extend two previous theorems of Broersma, Ryjá?ek and Schiermeyer [H.J. Broersma, Z. Ryjá?ek, I. Schiermeyer, Dirac’s minimum degree condition restricted to claws, Discrete Math. 167-168 (1997) 155-166], on the existence of Hamilton cycles in 2-heavy graphs.     

On infinite graphs with a specified number of colorings

In this paper we construct a planar graph of degree four which admits exactly N_u 3-colorings, we prove that such a graph must have degree at least four, and we consider various generalizations. We first allow our graph to have either one or two vertices of infinite degree and/or to admit only finitely many colorings and we note how this effects the degrees of the remaining vertices. We next consider n-colorings for n>3, and we construct graphs which we conjecture (but cannot prove) are of minimal degree. Finally, we consider nondenumerable graphs, and for every 3 <n<ω and every infinite cardinal k we construct a graph of cardinality k which admits exactly kn-colorings. We also show that the number of n-colorings of a denumerable graph can never be strictly between N_u and 2^N_u and that an appropriate generalization holds for at least certain nondenumerable graphs.     

On the signless Laplacian spectral radius of graphs with cut vertices

In this paper, we show that among all the connected graphs with n vertices and k cut vertices, the maximal signless Laplacian spectral radius is attained uniquely at the graph G_n,k, where G_n,k is obtained from the complete graph K_n-k by attaching paths of almost equal lengths to all vertices of K_n-k. We also give a new proof of the analogous result for the spectral radius of the connected graphs with n vertices and k cut vertices (see [A. Berman, X.-D. Zhang, On the spectral radius of graphs with cut vertices, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 83 (2001) 233-240]). Finally, we discuss the limit point of the maximal signless Laplacian spectral radius.     

A lower bound for groupies in graphs

A non-isolated vertex of a graph G is called a groupie if the average degree of the vertices connected to it is larger than or equal to the average degree of the vertices in G. An isolated vertex is a groupie only if all vertices of G are isolated. While it is well known that every graph must contain at least one groupie, the graph K_n − e contains just 2 groupie vertices for n ≥ 2. In this paper we derive a lower bound for the number of groupies which shows, in particular, that any graph with 2 or more vertices must contain at least 2 groupies. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Brooks' graph-coloring theorem and the independence number

Let h denote the maximum degree of a connected graph H, and let _χ(H) denote its chromatic, number. Brooks' Theorem asserts that if h ≥ 3, then _χ(H) ≤ h, unless H is the complete graph K_h+1. We show that when H is not K_h+1, there is an h-coloring of H in which a maximum independent set is monochromatic. We characterize those graphs H having an h-coloring in which some color class consists of vertices of degree h in H. Again, without any loss of generality, this color class may be assumed to be maximum with respect to the condition that its vertices have degree h.     

Steiner pentagon systems

A Steiner pentagon system is a pair (K_n, P) where K_n isthe complete undirected graph on n vertices. P is a collection of edge-disjoint pentagons which partition K_n, and such that every part of distinct vertices of K_n is joined by a path of length two in exactly one pentagon of the collection P. The number n is called the order of the system. This paper gives a somplete solution of the existence problem of Steiner pentagon systems. In particular it is shown that the spectrum for Steiner pentagon systems (=the set of all orders for which a Steiner pentagon system exists) is precisely the set of all n ≡ 1 or 5 (mod 10), except 15, for which no such system exists.     

On the Crossing Numbers of Products of Stars and Graphs of Order Five

 There are several known exact results on the crossing numbers of Cartesian products of paths or cycles with “small” graphs. In this paper we extend these results to the Cartesian products of two specific 5-vertex graphs with the star K _{1, n} . In addition, we give the crossing number of the graph obtained by adding two edges to the graph K _{1,4, n} in such a way that these new edges join a vertex of degree n+1 of the graph K _{1,4, n} with two its vertices of the same degree. Received: December 8, 1997 Final version received: August 14, 1998     

Orientable imbedding of line graphs

In this paper we compute the orientable genus of the line graph of a graph G, when G is a tree and a 2-edge connected graph, all the vertices of which have their degrees equal to 2, 3, 6, or 11 modulo 12, and either G can be imbedded with triangular faces only or G is a bipartite graph which can be imbedded with squares only as faces. In the other cases, we give an upper bound of the genus of line graphs. In this way, we solve the question of the Hamiltonian genus of the complete graph K_n, for every n ≥ 3.     

A characterisation of rigid circuit graphs

Let G_n be a graph of n vertices, having chromatic number r which contains no complete graph of r vertices. Then G_n contains a vertex of degree not exceeding n(3r?7)/(3r?4). The result is essentially best possible.     

Connected graphs with maximal Q-index: The one-dominating-vertex case

By the signless Laplacian of a (simple) graph G we mean the matrix Q(G)=D(G)+A(G), where A(G),D(G) denote respectively the adjacency matrix and the diagonal matrix of vertex degrees of G. For every pair of positive integers n,k, it is proved that if 3?k?n-3, then H_n,k, the graph obtained from the star K_1,n-1 by joining a vertex of degree 1 to k+1 other vertices of degree 1, is the unique connected graph that maximizes the largest signless Laplacian eigenvalue over all connected graphs with n vertices and n+k edges.     

On the Maximum Number of Cliques in a Graph

A clique is a set of pairwise adjacent vertices in a graph. We determine the maximum number of cliques in a graph for the following graph classes: (1) graphs with n vertices and m edges; (2) graphs with n vertices, m edges, and maximum degree Δ; (3) d-degenerate graphs with n vertices and m edges; (4) planar graphs with n vertices and m edges; and (5) graphs with n vertices and no K₅-minor or no K_3,3-minor. For example, the maximum number of cliques in a planar graph with n vertices is 8(n − 2). Research supported by a Marie Curie Fellowship of the European Community under contract 023865, and by the projects MCYT-FEDER BFM2003-00368 and Gen. Cat 2001SGR00224.     

Zero-Divisor Semigroups and Some Simple Graphs

In this article, we study commutative zero-divisor semigroups determined by graphs. We prove that for all n ≥ 4, the complete graph K _n together with two end vertices has a unique corresponding zero-divisor semigroup, while the complete graph K _n together with three end vertices has no corresponding semigroups. We determine all the twenty zero-divisor semigroups whose zero-divisor graphs are the complete graph K ₃ together with an end vertex.     

Cycles and perfect matchings

Fan Chung and Ron Graham (J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 65 (1995) 273–290) introduced the cover polynomial for a directed graph and showed that it was connected with classical rook theory. Dworkin (J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 71 (1997) 17–53) showed that the cover polynomial naturally factors for directed graphs associated with Ferrers boards. The authors (Adv. Appl. Math. 27 (2001) 438–481) developed a rook theory for shifted Ferrers boards where the analogue of a rook placement is replaced by a partial perfect matching of K_2n, the complete graph on 2n vertices. In this paper, we show that an analogue of Dworkin's result holds for shifted Ferrers boards in this setting. We also show how cycle-counting matching numbers are connected to cycle-counting “hit numbers” (which involve perfect matchings of K_2n).     

Almost resolvable decomposition of Kn1

In this paper, we show that the complete symmetric directed graph with n vertices $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{n}}{}^1$ admits an almost resolvable decomposition into TT₃ (the transitive tournament on 3 vertices) or C₃ (the directed cycle of length 3) if and only if n ≡ 1(mod 3).     

Stability of the path-path Ramsey number

Here we prove a stability version of a Ramsey-type Theorem for paths. Thus in any 2-coloring of the edges of the complete graph K_n we can either find a monochromatic path substantially longer than 2n/3, or the coloring is close to the extremal coloring.     

A Note on Directed Genera of Some Tournaments

An embedding of a digraph in an orientable surface is an embedding as the underlying graph and arcs in each region force a directed cycle. The directed genus is the minimum genus of surfaces in which the digraph can be directed embedded. Bonnington, Conder, Morton and McKenna [J. Combin. Theory Ser. B, 85(2002) 1-20] gave the problem that which tournaments on n vertices have the directed genus ?(n?3)(n?4)/12 ?, the genus of K_n. In this paper, we use the current graph method to show that there exists a tournament, which has the directed genus ?(n?3)(n?4)/12 ?, on n vertices if and only if n ≡ 3 or 7 (mod 12).     

Extremal values of the interval number of a graph,II

It is shown that the interval number of a graph on n vertices is at most $\text{[}\text{1}\text{4}\text{(n+1)]}$, and this bound is best possible. This means that we can represent any graph on n vertices as an intersection graph in which the sets assigned to the vertices each consist of the union of at most $\text{[}\text{1}\text{4}\text{(n+1)]}$ finite closed intervals on the real line. This upper bound is attained by the complete bipartite graph K_[n/2],[n/2].