The common structure graph: Common structural features of a set of graphs

A method is proposed for abstracting the common features of a set of graphs. It is based on the graph homomorphisms that a set of graphs share. A semilattice structure is imposed on the partial order of graph homomorphisms of a set of graphs. The ‘common structure graphs’ are defined in relation to this semilattice.     

On the stable set polytope of a series-parallel graph

We give a short proof of Chvátal's conjecture that the nontrivial facets of the stable set polytope of a series-parallel graph all come from edges and odd holes.Research supported in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and by CP Rail.     

The extreme set condition of a graph

Let G be a simple graph. The size of any largest matching in G is called the matching number of G and is denoted by ν(G). Define the deficiency of G, def(G), by the equation def(G)=|V(G)|−2ν(G). A set of points X in G is called an extreme set if def(G−X)=def(G)+|X|. Let c₀(G) denote the number of the odd components of G. A set of points X in G is called a barrier if c₀(G−X)=def(G)+|X|. In this paper, we obtain the following:

(1) Let G be a simple graph containing an independent set of size i, where i2. If X is extreme in G for every independent set X of size i in G, then there exists a perfect matching in G.

(2) Let G be a connected simple graph containing an independent set of size i, where i2. Then X is extreme in G for every independent set X of size i in G if and only if G=(U,W) is a bipartite graph with |U|=|W|i, and |Γ(Y)||U|−i+m+1 for any Y U, |Y|=m (1mi−1).

(3) Let G be a connected simple graph containing an independent set of size i, where i2. Then X is a barrier in G for every independent set X of size i in G if and only if G=(U,W) is a bipartite graph with |U|=|W|=i, and |Γ(Y)|m+1 for any Y U, |Y|=m (1mi−1).     

Partition the vertices of a graph into one independent set and one acyclic set

For a given graph G, if the vertices of G can be partitioned into an independent set and an acyclic set, then we call G a near-bipartite graph. This paper studies the recognition of near-bipartite graphs. We give simple characterizations for those near-bipartite graphs having maximum degree at most 3 and those having diameter 2. We also show that the recognition of near-bipartite graphs is NP-complete even for graphs where the maximum degree is 4 or where the diameter is 4.     

Homomorphism–homogeneous graphs

We answer two open questions posed by Cameron and Nesetril concerning homomorphism–homogeneous graphs. In particular we show, by giving a characterization of these graphs, that extendability to monomorphism or to homomorphism leads to the same class of graphs when defining homomorphism–homogeneity. Further, we show that there are homomorphism–homogeneous graphs that do not contain the Rado graph as a spanning subgraph answering the second open question. We also treat the case of homomorphism–homogeneous graphs with loops allowed, showing that the corresponding decision problem is co–NP complete. Finally, we extend the list of considered morphism–types and show that the graphs for which monomorphisms can be extended to epimor‐phisms are complements of homomorphism–homogeneous graphs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 65: 253–261, 2010     

Asymptotic bounds for some bipartite graph: complete graph Ramsey numbers

The Ramsey number r(H,K_n) is the smallest integer N so that each graph on N vertices that fails to contain H as a subgraph has independence number at least n. It is shown that r(K_2,m,K_n)(m−1+o(1))(n/log n)² and r(C_2m,K_n)c(n/log n)^m/(m−1) for m fixed and n→∞. Also r(K_2,n,K_n)=Θ(n³/log² n) and .     

Vertices contained in every minimum dominating set of a tree

In this article we begin the study of the vertex subsets of a graph G which consist of the vertices contained in all, or in no, respectively, minimum dominating sets of G. We characterize these sets for trees, and also obtain results on the vertices contained in all minimum independent dominating sets of trees. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 31: 163‐177, 1999     

Local set theory

In 1945, Eilenberg and MacLane introduced the new mathematical notion of category. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, category theory did not fit into the framework of either Zermelo—Fraenkel set theory or even von Neumann—Bernays—Gödel set-class theory. For this reason, in 1959, MacLane posed the general problem of constructing a new, more flexible, axiomatic set theory which would be an adequate logical basis for the whole of naïve category theory. In this paper, we give axiomatic foundations for local set theory. This theory might be one of the possible solutions of the MacLane problem.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, vol. 77, no. 2, 2005, pp. 194–212.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by V. K. Zakharov.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

Quasi‐randomness of graph balanced cut properties

Quasi‐random graphs can be informally described as graphs whose edge distribution closely resembles that of a truly random graph of the same edge density. Recently, Shapira and Yuster proved the following result on quasi‐randomness of graphs. Let k ≥ 2 be a fixed integer, α₁,…,α_k be positive reals satisfying \begin{align*}\sum_{i} \alpha_i = 1\end{align*} and (α₁,…,α_k)≠(1/k,…,1/k), and G be a graph on n vertices. If for every partition of the vertices of G into sets V ₁,…,V _k of size α₁n,…,α_kn, the number of complete graphs on k vertices which have exactly one vertex in each of these sets is similar to what we would expect in a random graph, then the graph is quasi‐random. However, the method of quasi‐random hypergraphs they used did not provide enough information to resolve the case (1/k,…,1/k) for graphs. In their work, Shapira and Yuster asked whether this case also forces the graph to be quasi‐random. Janson also posed the same question in his study of quasi‐randomness under the framework of graph limits. In this paper, we positively answer their question. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2011     

Improved FPT algorithms for weighted independent set in bull-free graphs

Very recently, Thomassé et al. (2017) have given an FPT algorithm for Weighted Independent Set in bull-free graphs parameterized by the weight of the solution, running in time $2^{O\left(k^5\right)}?n^9$. In this article we improve this running time to $2^{O\left(k^2\right)}?n^7$. As a byproduct, we also improve the previous Turing-kernel for this problem from $O\left(k^5\right)$ to $O\left(k^2\right)$. Furthermore, for the subclass of bull-free graphs without holes of length at most $2p?1$ for $p\ge 3$, we speed up the running time to $2^{O(k?k^{\frac{1}{p?1}})}?n^7$. As $p$ grows, this running time is asymptotically tight in terms of $k$, since we prove that for each integer $p\ge 3$, Weighted Independent Set cannot be solved in time $2^{o\left(k\right)}?n^{O\left(1\right)}$ in the class of $\{\text{bull},C_4,\dots ,C_{2p?1}\}$-free graphs unless the ETH fails.     

A universal planar graph under the minor relation

We construct an infinite planar graph that contains every planar graph as a minor. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Graph Theory 32: 191–206, 1999     

On the Beck‐Fiala conjecture for random set systems

Motivated by the Beck‐Fiala conjecture, we study discrepancy bounds for random sparse set systems. Concretely, these are set systems (X,Σ), where each element x ∈ X lies in t randomly selected sets of Σ, where t is an integer parameter. We provide new bounds in two regimes of parameters. We show that when |Σ| ≥ |X| the hereditary discrepancy of (X,Σ) is with high probability ; and when |X| ? |Σ|^t the hereditary discrepancy of (X,Σ) is with high probability O(1). The first bound combines the Lovász Local Lemma with a new argument based on partial matchings; the second follows from an analysis of the lattice spanned by sparse vectors.     

First‐passage percolation on a ladder graph,and the path cost in a VCG auction

This paper studies the time constant for first‐passage percolation, and the Vickrey‐Clarke‐Groves (VCG) payment, for the shortest path on a ladder graph (a width‐2 strip) with random edge costs, treating both in a unified way based on recursive distributional equations. For first‐passage percolation where the edge costs are independent Bernoulli random variables we find the time constant exactly; it is a rational function of the Bernoulli parameter. For first‐passage percolation where the edge costs are uniform random variables we present a reasonably efficient means for obtaining arbitrarily close upper and lower bounds. Using properties of Harris chains we also show that the incremental cost to advance through the medium has a unique stationary distribution, and we compute stochastic lower and upper bounds. We rely on no special properties of the uniform distribution: the same methods could be applied to any well‐behaved, bounded cost distribution. For the VCG payment, with Bernoulli‐distributed costs the payment for an n‐long ladder, divided by n, tends to an explicit rational function of the Bernoulli parameter. Again, our methods apply more generally. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 38, 350‐364, 2011     

Mixed volume techniques for embeddings of Laman graphs

Determining the number of embeddings of Laman graph frameworks is an open problem which corresponds to understanding the solutions of the resulting systems of equations. In this paper we investigate the bounds which can be obtained from the viewpoint of Bernstein's Theorem. The focus of the paper is to provide methods to study the mixed volume of suitable systems of polynomial equations obtained from the edge length constraints. While in most cases the resulting bounds are weaker than the best known bounds on the number of embeddings, for some classes of graphs the bounds are tight.     

s‐Regular cubic graphs as coverings of the complete bipartite graph K3,3

A graph is s‐regular if its automorphism group acts freely and transitively on the set of s‐arcs. An infinite family of cubic 1‐regular graphs was constructed in [10], as cyclic coverings of the three‐dimensional Hypercube. In this paper, we classify the s‐regular cyclic coverings of the complete bipartite graph K_3,3 for each ≥ 1 whose fibre‐preserving automorphism subgroups act arc‐transitively. As a result, a new infinite family of cubic 1‐regular graphs is constructed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 45: 101–112, 2004