A weaker version of Lovász' path removal conjecture

We prove there exists a function f(k) such that for every f(k)-connected graph G and for every edge eE(G), there exists an induced cycle C containing e such that G−E(C) is k-connected. This proves a weakening of a conjecture of Lovász due to Kriesell.     

On shredders and vertex connectivity augmentation

We consider the following problem: given a k-(node) connected graph G find a smallest set F of new edges so that the graph G+F is (k+1)-connected. The complexity status of this problem is an open question. The problem admits a 2-approximation algorithm. Another algorithm due to Jordán computes an augmenting edge set with at most (k−1)/2 edges over the optimum. CV(G) is a k-separator (k-shredder) of G if |C|=k and the number b(C) of connected components of G−C is at least two (at least three). We will show that the problem is polynomially solvable for graphs that have a k-separator C with b(C)k+1. This leads to a new splitting-off theorem for node connectivity. We also prove that in a k-connected graph G on n nodes the number of k-shredders with at least p components (p3) is less than 2n/(2p−3), and that this bound is asymptotically tight.     

Every 4-connected line graph of a quasi claw-free graph is hamiltonian connected

Let G be a graph. For u,vV(G) with dist_G(u,v)=2, denote J_G(u,v)={wN_G(u)∩N_G(v)|N_G(w)N_G(u)N_G(v){u,v}}. A graph G is called quasi claw-free if J_G(u,v)≠ for any u,vV(G) with dist_G(u,v)=2. In 1986, Thomassen conjectured that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian. In this paper we show that every 4-connected line graph of a quasi claw-free graph is hamiltonian connected.     

A note on the signed edge domination number in graphs

Let G=(V(G),E(G)) be a graph. A function f:E(G)→{+1,−1} is called the signed edge domination function (SEDF) of G if ∑_e^′N[e]f(e^′)≥1 for every eE(G). The signed edge domination number of G is defined as is a SEDF of G}. Xu [Baogen Xu, Two classes of edge domination in graphs, Discrete Applied Mathematics 154 (2006) 1541–1546] researched on the edge domination in graphs and proved that for any graph G of order n(n≥4). In the article, he conjectured that: For any 2-connected graph G of order n(n≥2), . In this note, we present some counterexamples to the above conjecture and prove that there exists a family of k-connected graphs G_m,k with .     

On the number of independent chorded cycles in a graph

Hajnal and Corrádi proved that any simple graph on at least 3k vertices with minimal degree at least 2k contains k independent cycles. We prove the analogous result for chorded cycles. Let G be a simple graph with |V(G)|4k and minimal degree δ(G)3k. Then G contains k independent chorded cycles. This result is sharp.     

A new upper bound for the total vertex irregularity strength of graphs

We investigate the following modification of the well-known irregularity strength of graphs. Given a total weighting w of a graph G=(V,E) with elements of a set {1,2,…,s}, denote wt_G(v)=∑_evw(e)+w(v) for each vV. The smallest s for which exists such a weighting with wt_G(u)≠wt_G(v) whenever u and v are distinct vertices of G is called the total vertex irregularity strength of this graph, and is denoted by . We prove that for each graph of order n and with minimum degree δ>0.     

Minimum degree conditions for -linked graphs

For a fixed multigraph H with vertices w₁,…,w_m, a graph G is H-linked if for every choice of vertices v₁,…,v_m in G, there exists a subdivision of H in G such that v_i is the branch vertex representing w_i (for all i). This generalizes the notions of k-linked, k-connected, and k-ordered graphs.Given a connected multigraph H with k edges and minimum degree at least two and n7.5k, we determine the least integer d such that every n-vertex simple graph with minimum degree at least d is H-linked. This value D(H,n) appears to equal the least integer d^′ such that every n-vertex graph with minimum degree at least d^′ is b(H)-connected, where b(H) is the maximum number of edges in a bipartite subgraph of H.     

On triconnected and cubic plane graphs on given point sets

Let S be a set of n4 points in general position in the plane, and let h<n be the number of extreme points of S. We show how to construct a 3-connected plane graph with vertex set S, having max{3n/2,n+h−1} edges, and we prove that there is no 3-connected plane graph on top of S with a smaller number of edges. In particular, this implies that S admits a 3-connected cubic plane graph if and only if n4 is even and hn/2+1. The same bounds also hold when 3-edge-connectivity is considered. We also give a partial characterization of the point sets in the plane that can be the vertex set of a cubic plane graph.     

Transformation graph

The transformation graph G^-+- of a graph G is the graph with vertex set V(G)E(G), in which two vertices u and v are joined by an edge if one of the following conditions holds: (i) u,vV(G) and they are not adjacent in G, (ii) u,vE(G) and they are adjacent in G, (iii) one of u and v is in V(G) while the other is in E(G), and they are not incident in G. In this paper, for any graph G, we determine the connectivity and the independence number of G^-+-. Furthermore, for a graph G of order n4, we show that G^-+- is hamiltonian if and only if G is not isomorphic to any graph in {2K₁+K₂,K₁+K₃}{K_1,n-1,K_1,n-1+e,K_1,n-2+K₁}.     

The rainbow number of matchings in regular bipartite graphs

Given a graph G and a subgraph H of G, let rb(G,H) be the minimum number r for which any edge-coloring of G with r colors has a rainbow subgraph H. The number rb(G,H) is called the rainbow number of H with respect to G. Denote as mK₂ a matching of size m and as B_n,k the set of all the k-regular bipartite graphs with bipartition (X,Y) such that X=Y=n and k≤n. Let k,m,n be given positive integers, where k≥3, m≥2 and n>3(m−1). We show that for every GB_n,k, rb(G,mK₂)=k(m−2)+2. We also determine the rainbow numbers of matchings in paths and cycles.     

disjoint cycles containing specified independent vertices

Let k1 be an integer and G be a graph of order n3k satisfying the condition that σ₂(G)n+k-1. Let v₁,…,v_k be k independent vertices of G, and suppose that G has k vertex-disjoint triangles C₁,…,C_k with v_iV(C_i) for all 1ik.Then G has k vertex-disjoint cycles such that

(i) for all 1ik.

(ii) , and

(iii) At least k-1 of the k cycles are triangles.

The condition of degree sum σ₂(G)n+k-1 is sharp.

Maximum Zagreb index, minimum hyper-Wiener index and graph connectivity

In this work we show that among all n-vertex graphs with edge or vertex connectivity k, the graph G=K_k(K₁+K_n−k−1), the join of K_k, the complete graph on k vertices, with the disjoint union of K₁ and K_n−k−1, is the unique graph with maximum sum of squares of vertex degrees. This graph is also the unique n-vertex graph with edge or vertex connectivity k whose hyper-Wiener index is minimum.     

The Diameter of Sparse Random Graphs

We consider the diameter of a random graph G(n, p) for various ranges of p close to the phase transition point for connectivity. For a disconnected graph G, we use the convention that the diameter of G is the maximum diameter of its connected components. We show that almost surely the diameter of random graph G(n, p) is close to if np → ∞. Moreover if , then the diameter of G(n, p) is concentrated on two values. In general, if , the diameter is concentrated on at most 21/c₀ + 4 values. We also proved that the diameter of G(n, p) is almost surely equal to the diameter of its giant component if np > 3.6.     

Steiner centers and Steiner medians of graphs

Let G be a connected graph and S a set of vertices of G. The Steiner distance of S is the smallest number of edges in a connected subgraph of G that contains S and is denoted by d_G(S) or d(S). The Steiner n-eccentricity e_n(v) and Steiner n-distance d_n(v) of a vertex v in G are defined as e_n(v)=max{d(S)| SV(G), |S|=n and vS} and d_n(v)=∑{d(S)| SV(G), |S|=n and vS}, respectively. The Steiner n-center C_n(G) of G is the subgraph induced by the vertices of minimum n-eccentricity. The Steiner n-median M_n(G) of G is the subgraph induced by those vertices with minimum Steiner n-distance. Let T be a tree. Oellermann and Tian [O.R. Oellermann, S. Tian, Steiner centers in graphs, J. Graph Theory 14 (1990) 585–597] showed that C_n(T) is contained in C_n+1(T) for all n2. Beineke et al. [L.W. Beineke, O.R. Oellermann, R.E. Pippert, On the Steiner median of a tree, Discrete Appl. Math. 68 (1996) 249–258] showed that M_n(T) is contained in M_n+1(T) for all n2. Then, Oellermann [O.R. Oellermann, On Steiner centers and Steiner medians of graphs, Networks 34 (1999) 258–263] asked whether these containment relationships hold for general graphs. In this note we show that for every n2 there is an infinite family of block graphs G for which C_n(G)C_n+1(G). We also show that for each n2 there is a distance–hereditary graph G such that M_n(G)M_n+1(G). Despite these negative examples, we prove that if G is a block graph then M_n(G) is contained in M_n+1(G) for all n2. Further, a linear time algorithm for finding the Steiner n-median of a block graph is presented and an efficient algorithm for finding the Steiner n-distances of all vertices in a block graph is described.     

-Linked planar graphs

A graph G is (m,n)-linked if for any two disjoint subsets R,BV(G) with |R|m and |B|n, G has two disjoint connected subgraphs containing R and B, respectively. We shall prove that a planar graph with at least six vertices is (3,3)-linked if and only if G is 4-connected and maximal.     

Mutually independent hamiltonian cycles for the pancake graphs and the star graphs

A hamiltonian cycle C of a graph G is an ordered set u₁,u₂,…,u_n(G),u₁ of vertices such that u_i≠u_j for i≠j and u_i is adjacent to u_i+1 for every i{1,2,…,n(G)−1} and u_n(G) is adjacent to u₁, where n(G) is the order of G. The vertex u₁ is the starting vertex and u_i is the ith vertex of C. Two hamiltonian cycles C₁=u₁,u₂,…,u_n(G),u₁ and C₂=v₁,v₂,…,v_n(G),v₁ of G are independent if u₁=v₁ and u_i≠v_i for every i{2,3,…,n(G)}. A set of hamiltonian cycles {C₁,C₂,…,C_k} of G is mutually independent if its elements are pairwise independent. The mutually independent hamiltonicity IHC(G) of a graph G is the maximum integer k such that for any vertex u of G there exist k mutually independent hamiltonian cycles of G starting at u.In this paper, the mutually independent hamiltonicity is considered for two families of Cayley graphs, the n-dimensional pancake graphs P_n and the n-dimensional star graphs S_n. It is proven that IHC(P₃)=1, IHC(P_n)=n−1 if n≥4, IHC(S_n)=n−2 if n{3,4} and IHC(S_n)=n−1 if n≥5.     

The perfect matching polytope and solid bricks

The perfect matching polytope of a graph G is the convex hull of the set of incidence vectors of perfect matchings of G. Edmonds (J. Res. Nat. Bur. Standards Sect. B 69B 1965 125) showed that a vector x in Q^E belongs to the perfect matching polytope of G if and only if it satisfies the inequalities: (i) x0 (non-negativity), (ii) x(∂(v))=1, for all vV (degree constraints) and (iii) x(∂(S))1, for all odd subsets S of V (odd set constraints). In this paper, we characterize graphs whose perfect matching polytopes are determined by non-negativity and the degree constraints. We also present a proof of a recent theorem of Reed and Wakabayashi.     

Linked graphs with restricted lengths

A graph G is k-linked if G has at least 2k vertices, and for every sequence x₁,x₂,…,x_k,y₁,y₂,…,y_k of distinct vertices, G contains k vertex-disjoint paths P₁,P₂,…,P_k such that P_i joins x_i and y_i for i=1,2,…,k. Moreover, the above defined k-linked graph G is modulo (m₁,m₂,…,m_k)-linked if, in addition, for any k-tuple (d₁,d₂,…,d_k) of natural numbers, the paths P₁,P₂,…,P_k can be chosen such that P_i has length d_i modulo m_i for i=1,2,…,k. Thomassen showed that, for each k-tuple (m₁,m₂,…,m_k) of odd positive integers, there exists a natural number f(m₁,m₂,…,m_k) such that every f(m₁,m₂,…,m_k)-connected graph is modulo (m₁,m₂,…,m_k)-linked. For m₁=m₂=…=m_k=2, he showed in another article that there exists a natural number g(2,k) such that every g(2,k)-connected graph G is modulo (2,2,…,2)-linked or there is XV(G) such that |X|4k−3 and G−X is a bipartite graph, where (2,2,…,2) is a k-tuple.We showed that f(m₁,m₂,…,m_k)max{14(m₁+m₂++m_k)−4k,6(m₁+m₂++m_k)−4k+36} for every k-tuple of odd positive integers. We then extend the result to allow some m_i be even integers. Let (m₁,m₂,…,m_k) be a k-tuple of natural numbers and ℓk such that m_i is odd for each i with ℓ+1ik. If G is 45(m₁+m₂++m_k)-connected, then either G has a vertex set X of order at most 2k+2ℓ−3+δ(m₁,…,m_ℓ) such that G−X is bipartite or G is modulo (2m₁,…,2m_ℓ,m_ℓ+1,…,m_k)-linked, where

Our results generalize several known results on parity-linked graphs.     

About equivalent interval colorings of weighted graphs

Given a graph G=(V,E) with strictly positive integer weights ω_i on the vertices iV, a k-interval coloring of G is a function I that assigns an interval I(i){1,…,k} of ω_i consecutive integers (called colors) to each vertex iV. If two adjacent vertices x and y have common colors, i.e. I(i)∩I(j)≠0/ for an edge [i,j] in G, then the edge [i,j] is said conflicting. A k-interval coloring without conflicting edges is said legal. The interval coloring problem (ICP) is to determine the smallest integer k, called interval chromatic number of G and denoted χ_int(G), such that there exists a legal k-interval coloring of G. For a fixed integer k, the k-interval graph coloring problem (k-ICP) is to determine a k-interval coloring of G with a minimum number of conflicting edges. The ICP and k-ICP generalize classical vertex coloring problems where a single color has to be assigned to each vertex (i.e., ω_i=1 for all vertices iV).Two k-interval colorings I₁ and I₂ are said equivalent if there is a permutation π of the integers 1,…,k such that ℓI₁(i) if and only if π(ℓ)I₂(i) for all vertices iV. As for classical vertex coloring, the efficiency of algorithms that solve the ICP or the k-ICP can be increased by avoiding considering equivalent k-interval colorings, assuming that they can be identified very quickly. To this purpose, we define and prove a necessary and sufficient condition for the equivalence of two k-interval colorings. We then show how a simple tabu search algorithm for the k-ICP can possibly be improved by forbidding the visit of equivalent solutions.     

Finding the exact bound of the maximum degrees of class two graphs embeddable in a surface of characteristic

In this paper, we consider the problem of determining the maximum of the set of maximum degrees of class two graphs that can be embedded in a surface. For each surface Σ, we define Δ(Σ)=max{Δ(G)| G is a class two graph of maximum degree Δ that can be embedded in Σ}. Hence Vizing's Planar Graph Conjecture can be restated as Δ(Σ)=5 if Σ is a plane. We show that Δ(Σ)=7 if (Σ)=−1 and Δ(Σ)=8 if (Σ){−2,−3}.