More characterizations of triangulated graphs

New characterizations of triangulated and cotriangulated graphs are presented. Cotriangulated graphs form a natural subclass of the class of strongly perfect graphs, and they are also characterized in terms of the shellability of some associated collection of sets. Finally, the notion of stability function of a graph is introduced, and it is proved that a graph is triangulated if and only if the polynomial representing its stability function has all its coefficients equal to 0, +1 or ?1.     

Some 3‐connected 4‐edge‐critical non‐Hamiltonian graphs

Let γ(G) be the domination number of graph G, thus a graph G is k‐edge‐critical if γ (G) = k, and for every nonadjacent pair of vertices u and υ, γ(G + uυ) = k?1. In Chapter 16 of the book “Domination in Graphs—Advanced Topics,” D. Sumner cites a conjecture of E. Wojcicka under the form “3‐connected 4‐critical graphs are Hamiltonian and perhaps, in general (i.e., for any k ≥ 4), (k?1)‐connected, k‐edge‐critical graphs are Hamiltonian.” In this paper, we prove that the conjecture is not true for k = 4 by constructing a class of 3‐connected 4‐edge‐critical non‐Hamiltonian graphs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Orientations of graphs with uncountable chromatic number

Motivated by an old conjecture of P. Erdős and V. Neumann‐Lara, our aim is to investigate digraphs with uncountable dichromatic number and orientations of undirected graphs with uncountable chromatic number. A graph has uncountable chromatic number if its vertices cannot be covered by countably many independent sets, and a digraph has uncountable dichromatic number if its vertices cannot be covered by countably many acyclic sets. We prove that, consistently, there are digraphs with uncountable dichromatic number and arbitrarily large digirth; this is in surprising contrast with the undirected case: any graph with uncountable chromatic number contains a 4‐cycle. Next, we prove that several well‐known graphs (uncountable complete graphs, certain comparability graphs, and shift graphs) admit orientations with uncountable dichromatic number in ZFC. However, we show that the statement “every graph G of size and chromatic number ω₁ has an orientation D with uncountable dichromatic number” is independent of ZFC. We end the article with several open problems.     

Graphs in which some and every maximum matching is uniquely restricted

A matching M in a graph G is uniquely restricted if there is no matching in G that is distinct from M but covers the same vertices as M. Solving a problem posed by Golumbic, Hirst, and Lewenstein, we characterize the graphs in which some maximum matching is uniquely restricted. Solving a problem posed by Levit and Mandrescu, we characterize the graphs in which every maximum matching is uniquely restricted. Both our characterizations lead to efficient recognition algorithms for the corresponding graphs.     

Randomness friendly graphs

We consider the two problems from extremal graph theory: 1. Given integer N, real p ϵ (0, 1) and a graph G, what is the minimum number of copies of G a graph H with N vertices and pN²/2 edges can contain? 2. Given an integer N and a graph G, what is the minimum number of copies of G an N-vertex graph H and its complement H¯ can contain altogether? In each of the problems, we say that G is “randomness friendly” if the number of its copies is nearly minimal when H is the random graph. We investigate how the two classes of graphs are related: the graphs which are “randomness friendly” in Problem 1 and those of Problem 2. In the latter problem, we discover new families of graphs which are “randomness friendly.” © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Compatible connectedness in graphs and topological spaces

A topology on the vertex set of a graphG iscompatible with the graph if every induced subgraph ofG is connected if and only if its vertex set is topologically connected. In the case of locally finite graphs with a finite number of components, it was shown in [11] that a compatible topology exists if and only if the graph is a comparability graph and that all such topologies are Alexandroff. The main results of Section 1 extend these results to a much wider class of graphs. In Section 2, we obtain sufficient conditions on a graph under which all the compatible topologies are Alexandroff and in the case of bipartite graphs we show that this condition is also necessary.     

Unicycle graphs and uniquely restricted maximum matchings

A matching M is called uniquely restricted in a graph G if it is the unique perfect matching of the subgraph induced by the vertices that M saturates. G is a unicycle graph if it owns only one cycle. Golumbic, Hirst and Lewenstein observed that for a tree or a graph with only odd cycles the size of a maximum uniquely restricted matching is equal to the matching number of the graph. In this paper we characterize unicycle graphs enjoying this equality. Moreover, we describe unicycle graphs with only uniquely restricted maximum matchings. Using these findings, we show that unicycle graphs having only uniquely restricted maximum matchings can be recognized in polynomial time.     

Contracting planar graphs to contractions of triangulations

For every graph H, there exists a polynomial-time algorithm deciding if a planar input graph G can be contracted to H. However, the degree of the polynomial depends on the size of H. We identify a class of graphs C such that for every fixed H∈C, there exists a linear-time algorithm deciding whether a given planar graph G can be contracted to H. The class C is the closure of planar triangulated graphs under taking of contractions. In fact, we prove that a graph H∈C if and only if there exists a constant cH such that if the treewidth of a graph is at least cH, it contains H as a contraction. We also provide a characterization of C in terms of minimal forbidden contractions.     

The 3‐connectivity of a graph and the multiplicity of zero “2” of its chromatic polynomial

Let G be a graph of order n, maximum degree Δ, and minimum degree δ. Let P(G, λ) be the chromatic polynomial of G. It is known that the multiplicity of zero “0” of P(G, λ) is one if G is connected, and the multiplicity of zero “1” of P(G, λ) is one if G is 2‐connected. Is the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) at most one if G is 3‐connected? In this article, we first construct an infinite family of 3‐connected graphs G such that the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is more than one, and then characterize 3‐connected graphs G with Δ + δ?n such that the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is at most one. In particular, we show that for a 3‐connected graph G, if Δ + δ?n and (Δ, δ₃)≠(n?3, 3), where δ₃ is the third minimum degree of G, then the multiplicity of zero “2” of P(G, λ) is at most one. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

Metric characterizations of proper interval graphs and tree-clique graphs

A connected graph G is a tree-clique graph if there exists a spanning tree T (a compatible tree) such that every clique of G is a subtree of T. When T is a path the connected graph G is a proper interval graph which is usually defined as intersection graph of a family of closed intervals of the real line such that no interval contains another. We present here metric characterizations of proper interval graphs and extend them to tree-clique graphs. This is done by demonstrating “local” properties of tree-clique graphs with respect to the subgraphs induced by paths of a compatible tree. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the Interval Number of a Triangulated Graph

The interval number of a simple undirected graph G, denoted i(G), is the least nonnegative integer r for which we can assign to each vertex in G a collection of at most r intervals on the real line such that two distinct vertices v and w of G are adjacent if and only if some interval for v intersects some interval for w. For triangulated graphs G, we consider the problem of finding a sharp upper bound for the interval number of G in terms of its clique number ω(G). The following partial results are proved. (1) For each triangulated graph G, i(G) ? ?ω(G)/2? + 1, and this is best possible for 2 ? ω(G) ? 6. (2) For each integer m ? 2, there exists a triangulated graph G with ω(G) = m and i(G) > m^1/2.     

Sequences,claws and cyclability of graphs

A subset S of vertices of a graph G is called cyclable in G if there is in G some cycle containing all the vertices of S. We give two results on the cyclability of a vertex subset in graphs, one of which is related to “hamiltonian-nice-sequence” conditions and the other of which is related to “claw-free” conditions. They imply many known results on hamiltonian graph theory. Moreover, the analogous results related to the hamilton-connectivity or to the existence of dominating cycle are also given. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Perfect Graphs with No Balanced Skew‐Partition are 2‐Clique‐Colorable

A graph G is perfect if for all induced subgraphs H of G, . A graph G is Berge if neither G nor its complement contains an induced odd cycle of length at least five. The Strong Perfect Graph Theorem [9] states that a graph is perfect if and only if it is Berge. The Strong Perfect Graph Theorem was obtained as a consequence of a decomposition theorem for Berge graphs [M. Chudnovsky, Berge trigraphs and their applications, PhD thesis, Princeton University, 2003; M. Chudnovsky, N. Robertson, P. Seymour, and R. Thomas, The strong perfect graph theorem, Ann Math 164 (2006), 51–229.], and one of the decompositions in this decomposition theorem was the “balanced skew‐partition.” A clique‐coloring of a graph G is an assignment of colors to the vertices of G in such a way that no inclusion‐wise maximal clique of G of size at least two is monochromatic, and the clique‐chromatic number of G, denoted by , is the smallest number of colors needed to clique‐color G. There exist graphs of arbitrarily large clique‐chromatic number, but it is not known whether the clique‐chromatic number of perfect graphs is bounded. In this article, we prove that every perfect graph that does not admit a balanced skew‐partition is 2‐clique colorable. The main tool used in the proof is a decomposition theorem for “tame Berge trigraphs” due to Chudnovsky et al. ( http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.6444 ).     

Variations of maximum-clique transversal sets on graphs

A maximum-clique transversal set of a graph G is a subset of vertices intersecting all maximum cliques of G. The maximum-clique transversal set problem is to find a maximum-clique transversal set of G of minimum cardinality. Motivated by the placement of transmitters for cellular telephones, Chang, Kloks, and Lee introduced the concept of maximum-clique transversal sets on graphs in 2001. In this paper, we introduce the concept of maximum-clique perfect and some variations of the maximum-clique transversal set problem such as the {k}-maximum-clique, k-fold maximum-clique, signed maximum-clique, and minus maximum-clique transversal problems. We show that balanced graphs, strongly chordal graphs, and distance-hereditary graphs are maximum-clique perfect. Besides, we present a unified approach to these four problems on strongly chordal graphs and give complexity results for the following classes of graphs: split graphs, balanced graphs, comparability graphs, distance-hereditary graphs, dually chordal graphs, doubly chordal graphs, chordal graphs, planar graphs, and triangle-free graphs.     

Character degree graphs with no complete vertices

Let Γ be a graph in which each vertex is non-adjacent to another different one. We show that, if G is a finite solvable group with abelian Fitting subgroup and with character degree graph $\Gamma (G)=\Gamma$, then G is a direct product of subgroups having a disconnected character degree graph. In particular, Γ is a join of disconnected graphs. We deduce also that solvable groups with abelian Fitting subgroup have a character degree graph with diameter at most 2.     

On the structure of hereditary classes of graphs

A class of graphs is hereditary if it is closed under taking induced subgraphs. Classes associated with graph representations have “composition sequences” and we show that this concept is equivalent to a notion of “amalgamation” which generalizes disjoint union of graphs. We also discuss how general hereditary classes of graphs are built up from representation classes.     

Coloring quasi‐line graphs

A graph G is a quasi‐line graph if for every vertex v, the set of neighbors of v can be expressed as the union of two cliques. The class of quasi‐line graphs is a proper superset of the class of line graphs. A theorem of Shannon's implies that if G is a line graph, then it can be properly colored using no more than 3/2 ω(G) colors, where ω(G) is the size of the largest clique in G. In this article, we extend this result to all quasi‐line graphs. We also show that this bound is tight. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

On the strong perfect graph conjecture

A graph G is perfect if for every induced subgraph H of G the chromatic number χ(H) equals the largest number ω(H) of pairwise adjacent vertices in H. Berge's famous Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture asserts that a graph G is perfect if and only if neither G nor its complement G¯ contains an odd chordless cycle of length at least 5. Its resolution has eluded researchers for more than 20 years. We prove that the conjecture is true for a class of graphs that we describe by forbidden configurations.     

Unique factorization of compositive hereditary graph properties

A graph property is any class of graphs that is closed under isomorphisms. A graph property P is hereditary if it is closed under taking subgraphs; it is compositive if for any graphs G1, G2 ∈ P there exists a graph G ∈ P containing both G1 and G2 as subgraphs. Let H be any given graph on vertices v1, . . . , vn, n ≥ 2. A graph property P is H-factorizable over the class of graph properties P if there exist P 1 , . . . , P n ∈ P such that P consists of all graphs whose vertex sets can be partitioned into n parts, possibly empty, satisfying: 1. for each i, the graph induced by the i-th non-empty partition part is in P i , and 2. for each i and j with i = j, there is no edge between the i-th and j-th parts if vi and vj are non-adjacent vertices in H. If a graph property P is H-factorizable over P and we know the graph properties P 1 , . . . , P n , then we write P = H [ P 1 , . . . , P n ]. In such a case, the presentation H[ P 1 , . . . , P n ] is called a factorization of P over P. This concept generalizes graph homomorphisms and (P 1 , . . . , P n )-colorings. In this paper, we investigate all H-factorizations of a graph property P over the class of all hered- itary compositive graph properties for finite graphs H. It is shown that in many cases there is exactly one such factorization.