Algebraic Connectivity of Connected Graphs with Fixed Number of Pendant Vertices

In this paper, we consider the following problem. Over the class of all simple connected graphs of order n with k pendant vertices (n, k being fixed), which graph maximizes (respectively, minimizes) the algebraic connectivity? We also discuss the algebraic connectivity of unicyclic graphs.     

Hamiltonian graphs of given order and minimum algebraic connectivity

In this paper, we study the algebraic connectivity of a Hamiltonian graph, and determine all Hamiltonian graphs whose algebraic connectivity attain the minimum among all Hamiltonian graphs on n vertices.     

The ordering of unicyclic graphs with the smallest algebraic connectivity

Fielder [M. Fielder, Algebraic connectivity of graphs, Czechoslovak Math. J. 23 (1973) 298-305] has turned out that G is connected if and only if its algebraic connectivity a(G)>0. In 1998, Fallat and Kirkland [S.M. Fallat, S. Kirkland, Extremizing algebraic connectivity subject to graph theoretic constraints, Electron. J. Linear Algebra 3 (1998) 48-74] posed a conjecture: if G is a connected graph on n vertices with girth g≥3, then a(G)≥a(C_n,g) and that equality holds if and only if G is isomorphic to C_n,g. In 2007, Guo [J.M. Guo, A conjecture on the algebraic connectivity of connected graphs with fixed girth, Discrete Math. 308 (2008) 5702-5711] gave an affirmatively answer for the conjecture. In this paper, we determine the second and the third smallest algebraic connectivity among all unicyclic graphs with vertices.     

On planar hypohamiltonian graphs

We present a planar hypohamiltonian graph on 42 vertices and (as a corollary) a planar hypotraceable graph on 162 vertices, improving the bounds of Zamfirescu and Zamfirescu and show some other consequences. We also settle the open problem whether there exists a positive integer N, such that for every integer n≥N there exists a planar hypohamiltonian/hypotraceable graph on n vertices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 67: 55‐68, 2011     

Unoriented Laplacian maximizing graphs are degree maximal

A connected graph is said to be unoriented Laplacian maximizing if the spectral radius of its unoriented Laplacian matrix attains the maximum among all connected graphs with the same number of vertices and the same number of edges. A graph is said to be threshold (maximal) if its degree sequence is not majorized by the degree sequence of any other graph (and, in addition, the graph is connected). It is proved that an unoriented Laplacian maximizing graph is maximal and also that there are precisely two unoriented Laplacian maximizing graphs of a given order and with nullity 3. Our treatment depends on the following known characterization: a graph G is threshold (maximal) if and only if for every pair of vertices u,v of G, the sets N(u)?{v},N(v)?{u}, where N(u) denotes the neighbor set of u in G, are comparable with respect to the inclusion relation (and, in addition, the graph is connected). A conjecture about graphs that maximize the unoriented Laplacian matrix among all graphs with the same number of vertices and the same number of edges is also posed.     

Large non-planar graphs and an application to crossing-critical graphs

We prove that, for every positive integer k, there is an integer N such that every 4-connected non-planar graph with at least N vertices has a minor isomorphic to K4,k, the graph obtained from a cycle of length 2k+1 by adding an edge joining every pair of vertices at distance exactly k, or the graph obtained from a cycle of length k by adding two vertices adjacent to each other and to every vertex on the cycle. We also prove a version of this for subdivisions rather than minors, and relax the connectivity to allow 3-cuts with one side planar and of bounded size. We deduce that for every integer k there are only finitely many 3-connected 2-crossing-critical graphs with no subdivision isomorphic to the graph obtained from a cycle of length 2k by joining all pairs of diagonally opposite vertices.     

Longest Cycles in Almost Claw-Free Graphs

Some known results on claw-free graphs are generalized to the larger class of almost claw-free graphs. In this paper, we prove several properties on longest cycles in almost claw-free graphs. In particular, we show the following two results.? (1) Every 2-connected almost claw-free graph on n vertices contains a cycle of length at least min {n, 2δ+4} and the bound 2δ+ 4 is best possible, thereby fully generalizing a result of Matthews and Sumner.? (2) Every 3-connected almost claw-free graph on n vertices contains a cycle of length at least min {n, 4δ}, thereby fully generalizing a result of MingChu Li. Received: September 17, 1996 Revised: September 22, 1998     

Minimizing Laplacian spectral radius of unicyclic graphs with fixed girth

In this paper we consider the following problem: Over the class of all simple connected unicyclic graphs on n vertices with girth g (n, g being fixed), which graph minimizes the Laplacian spectral radius? Let U _n,g be the lollipop graph obtained by appending a pendent vertex of a path on n ? g (n > g) vertices to a vertex of a cycle on g ? 3 vertices. We prove that the graph U _n,g uniquely minimizes the Laplacian spectral radius for n ? 2g ? 1 when g is even and for n ? 3g ? 1 when g is odd.     

On κ—ordered Graphs Involved Degree Sum

A graph G is κ-ordered Hamiltonian 2≤κ≤n,if for every ordered sequence S of κ distinct vertices of G,there exists a Hamiltonian cycle that encounters S in the given order,In this article,we prove that if G is a graph on n vertices with degree sum of nonadjacent vertices at least n 3κ-9/2,then G is κ-ordered Hamiltonian for κ=3,4,…,[n/19].We also show that the degree sum bound can be reduced to n 2[κ/2]-2 if κ(G）≥3κ-1/2 or δ（G）≥5κ-4.Several known results are generalized.     

Phase transition of the minimum degree random multigraph process

We study the phase transition of the minimum degree multigraph process. We prove that for a constant h_g ≈︁ 0.8607, with probability tending to 1 as n → ∞, the graph consists of small components on O(log n) vertices when the number of edges of a graph generated so far is smaller than h_gn, the largest component has order roughly n^2/3 when the number of edges added is exactly h_gn, and the graph consists of one giant component on Θ(n) vertices and small components on O(log n) vertices when the number of edges added is larger than h_gn. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2007     

On operations in which graphs are appended to trees

We consider the effects on the algebraic connectivity of various graphs when vertices and graphs are appended to the original graph. We begin by considering weighted trees and appending a single isolated vertex to it by adding an edge from the isolated vertex to some vertex in the tree. We then determine the possible set vertices in the tree that can yield the maximum change in algebraic connectivity under such an operation. We then discuss the changes in algebraic connectivity of a star when various graphs such as trees and complete graphs are appended to its pendant vertices.     

On operations in which graphs are appended to trees

We consider the effects on the algebraic connectivity of various graphs when vertices and graphs are appended to the original graph. We begin by considering weighted trees and appending a single isolated vertex to it by adding an edge from the isolated vertex to some vertex in the tree. We then determine the possible set vertices in the tree that can yield the maximum change in algebraic connectivity under such an operation. We then discuss the changes in algebraic connectivity of a star when various graphs such as trees and complete graphs are appended to its pendant vertices.     

Circle boundaries of planar graphs

Letg be an infinite, connected, planar graph with bounded vertex degree, which obeys a strong isoperimetric inequality and which can be embedded in the plane so that each cycle surrounds only finitely many vertices. We investigate a certain class of compactifications ofg; one of which has boundary homemorophic to a circle. We shall show that ifg is a tree or, more generally, ifg is hyperbolic, then this circle boundary supports an integral representation of any given bounded harmonic function. We further show that in the specific case of a triangulation of the plane, the graph is hyperbolic and therefore the Martin boundary is a circle.     

Computing tight upper bounds on the algebraic connectivity of certain graphs

A generalized Bethe tree is a rooted unweighted tree in which vertices at the same level have the same degree. Let B be a generalized Bethe tree. The algebraic connectivity of:

the generalized Bethe tree B,

a tree obtained from the union of B and a tree T isomorphic to a subtree of B such that the root vertex of T is the root vertex of B,

a tree obtained from the union of r generalized Bethe trees joined at their respective root vertices,

a graph obtained from the cycle C_r by attaching B, by its root, to each vertex of the cycle, and

a tree obtained from the path P_r by attaching B, by its root, to each vertex of the path,

is the smallest eigenvalue of a special type of symmetric tridiagonal matrices. In this paper, we first derive a procedure to compute a tight upper bound on the smallest eigenvalue of this special type of matrices. Finally, we apply the procedure to obtain a tight upper bound on the algebraic connectivity of the above mentioned graphs.

     

On k-ordered Hamiltonian graphs

A Hamiltonian graph G of order n is k-ordered, 2 ≤ k ≤ n, if for every sequence v₁, v₂, …, v_k of k distinct vertices of G, there exists a Hamiltonian cycle that encounters v₁, v₂, …, v_k in this order. Define f(k, n) as the smallest integer m for which any graph on n vertices with minimum degree at least m is a k-ordered Hamiltonian graph. In this article, answering a question of Ng and Schultz, we determine f(k, n) if n is sufficiently large in terms of k. Let g(k, n) = − 1. More precisely, we show that f(k, n) = g(k, n) if n ≥ 11k − 3. Furthermore, we show that f(k, n) ≥ g(k, n) for any n ≥ 2k. Finally we show that f(k, n) > g(k, n) if 2k ≤ n ≤ 3k − 6. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 32: 17–25, 1999     

On graphs with the largest Laplacian index

Let G be a connected simple graph on n vertices. The Laplacian index of G, namely, the greatest Laplacian eigenvalue of G, is well known to be bounded above by n. In this paper, we give structural characterizations for graphs G with the largest Laplacian index n. Regular graphs, Hamiltonian graphs and planar graphs with the largest Laplacian index are investigated. We present a necessary and sufficient condition on n and k for the existence of a k-regular graph G of order n with the largest Laplacian index n. We prove that for a graph G of order n ⩾ 3 with the largest Laplacian index n, G is Hamiltonian if G is regular or its maximum vertex degree is Δ(G) = n/2. Moreover, we obtain some useful inequalities concerning the Laplacian index and the algebraic connectivity which produce miscellaneous related results. The first author is supported by NNSF of China (No. 10771080) and SRFDP of China (No. 20070574006). The work was done when Z. Chen was on sabbatical in China.     

On the complexity of reconstructing H‐free graphs from their Star Systems

In the Star System problem we are given a set system and asked whether it is realizable by the multi‐set of closed neighborhoods of some graph, i.e. given subsets S₁, S₂, …, S_n of an n‐element set V does there exist a graph G = (V, E) with {N[v]: v∈V} = {S₁, S₂, …, S_n}? For a fixed graph H the H‐free Star System problem is a variant of the Star System problem where it is asked whether a given set system is realizable by closed neighborhoods of a graph containing no H as an induced subgraph. We study the computational complexity of the H‐free Star System problem. We prove that when H is a path or a cycle on at most four vertices the problem is polynomial time solvable. In complement to this result, we show that if H belongs to a certain large class of graphs the H‐free Star System problem is NP‐complete. In particular, the problem is NP‐complete when H is either a cycle or a path on at least five vertices. This yields a complete dichotomy for paths and cycles. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 68:113‐124, 2011     

On k-leaf connectivity of a random graph

We prove that, in a random graph with n vertices and N = cn log n edges, the subgraph generated by a set of all vertices of degree at least k + 1 is k-leaf connected for c > 1/4. A threshold function for k-leaf connectivity is also found.     

Geodesics and almost geodesic cycles in random regular graphs

A geodesic in a graph G is a shortest path between two vertices of G. For a specific function e(n) of n, we define an almost geodesic cycle C in G to be a cycle in which for every two vertices u and v in C, the distance d_G(u, v) is at least d_C(u, v)?e(n). Let ω(n) be any function tending to infinity with n. We consider a random d‐regular graph on n vertices. We show that almost all pairs of vertices belong to an almost geodesic cycle C with e(n) = log_d?1log_d?1n+ ω(n) and |C| = 2log_d?1n+ O(ω(n)). Along the way, we obtain results on near‐geodesic paths. We also give the limiting distribution of the number of geodesics between two random vertices in this random graph. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. J Graph Theory 66:115‐136, 2011