On the connectivity of randomm-orientable graphs and digraphs

We consider graphs and digraphs obtained by randomly generating a prescribed number of arcs incident at each vertex. We analyse their almost certain connectivity and apply these results to the expected value of random minimum length spanning trees and arborescences. We also examine the relationship between our results and certain results of Erdős and Rényi.     

The asymptotic numbers of regular tournaments,Eulerian digraphs and Eulerian oriented graphs

LetRT(n), ED(n) andEOG(n) be the number of labelled regular tournaments, labelled loop-free simple Eulerian digraphs, and labelled Eulerian oriented simple graphs, respectively, onn vertices. Then, asn,, for any>0. The last two families of graphs are also enumerated by their numbers of edges. The proofs use the saddle point method applied to appropriaten-dimensional integrals.     

Cycle extendability in graphs and digraphs

In 1990, Hendry conjectured that all chordal Hamiltonian graphs are cycle extendable, that is, the vertices of each non-Hamiltonian cycle are contained in a cycle of length one greater. Let A be a symmetric (0,1)-matrix with zero main diagonal such that A is the adjacency matrix of a chordal Hamiltonian graph. Hendry’s conjecture in this case is that every k×k principle submatrix of A that dominates a full cycle permutation k×k matrix is a principle submatrix of a (k+1)×(k+1) principle submatrix of A that dominates a (k+1)×(k+1) full cycle permutation matrix. This article generalizes the concept of cycle-extendability to S-extendable; that is, with S⊆{1,2,…,n} and G a graph on n vertices, G is S-extendable if the vertices of every non-Hamiltonian cycle are contained in a cycle length i greater, where i∈S. We investigate this concept in directed graphs and in particular tournaments, i.e., anti-symmetric matrices with zero main diagonal.     

Degree and local connectivity in digraphs

It is shown that there is a digraphD of minimum outdegree 12m and μ(x, y; D)=11m, but every digraphD of minimum outdegreen contains verticesx ≠y withλ(x, y; D)≧n−1, whereμ(x, y; D) andλ(x, y; D) denote the maximum number of openly disjoint and edge-disjoint paths, respectively.     

The strong metric dimension of graphs and digraphs

Let G be a connected (di)graph. A vertex w is said to strongly resolve a pair u,v of vertices of G if there exists some shortest u-w path containing v or some shortest v-w path containing u. A set W of vertices is a strong resolving set for G if every pair of vertices of G is strongly resolved by some vertex of W. The smallest cardinality of a strong resolving set for G is called the strong dimension of G. It is shown that the problem of finding the strong dimension of a connected graph can be transformed to the problem of finding the vertex covering number of a graph. Moreover, it is shown that computing this invariant is NP-hard. Related invariants for directed graphs are defined and studied.     

On a property ofn-edge-connected digraphs

It is proved that for every pair of verticesx, y in a finiten-edge-connected digraphD there is such a pathP fromx toy that the digraphD′ arising fromD by deleting the edges ofP is (n−1)-edge-connected.     

Exixtence of vertices of local connectivityk in digraphs of large outdegree

For every positive integerk, there is a positive integerf(k) such that every finite digraph of minimum outdegreef(k) contains verticesx, y joined byk openly disjoint paths.     

A note on the girth of digraphs

Behzad, Chartrand and Wall conjectured that the girth of a diregular graph of ordern and outdegreer is not greater than [n /r]. This conjecture has been proved forr=2 by Behzad and forr=3 by Bermond. We prove that a digraph of ordern and halfdegree ≧4 has girth not exceeding [n / 4]. We also obtain short proofs of the above results. Our method is an application of the theory of connectivity of digraphs.     

Contractible edges in triangle-free graphs

An edge of a graph is calledk-contractible if the contraction of the edge results in ak-connected graph. Thomassen [5] proved that everyk-connected graph of girth at least four has ak-contractible edge. In this paper, we study the distribution ofk-contractible edges in triangle-free graphs and show the following: Whenk≧2, everyk-connected graph of girth at least four and ordern≧3k, hasn+(3/2)k ²-3k or morek-contractible edges.     

Disjoint shortest paths in graphs

It is an interesting problem that how much connectivity ensures the existence ofn disjoint paths joining givenn pairs of vertices, but to get a sharp bound seems to be very difficult. In this paper, we study how muchgeodetic connectivity ensures the existence ofn disjointgeodesics joining givenn pairs of vertices, where a graph is calledk-geodetically connected if the removal of anyk−1 vertices does not change the distance between any remaining vertices.     

Highly linked graphs

A graph with at least 2k vertices is said to bek-linked if, for any choices ₁,...,s _k ,t ₁,...,t _k of 2k distinct vertices there are vertex disjoint pathsP ₁,...,P _k withP _i joinings _i tot _i , 1ik. Recently Robertson and Seymour [16] showed that a graphG isk-linked provided its vertex connectivityk(G) exceeds . We show here thatk(G)22k will do.     

Partition conditions and vertex-connectivity of graphs

It was proved ([5], [6]) that ifG is ann-vertex-connected graph then for any vertex sequencev ₁, ...,v _n ≠V(G) and for any sequence of positive integersk ₁, ...,k _n such thatk ₁+...+k _n =|V(G)|, there exists ann-partition ofV(G) such that this partition separates the verticesv ₁, ...,v(n), and the class of the partition containingv _i induces a connected subgraph consisting ofk _i vertices, fori=1, 2, ...,n. Now fix the integersk ₁, ...,k _n . In this paper we study what can we say about the vertex-connectivity ofG if there exists such a partition ofV(G) for any sequence of verticesv ₁, ...,v _n ≠V(G). We find some interesting cases when the existence of such partitions implies then-vertex-connectivity ofG, in the other cases we give sharp lower bounds for the vertex-connectivity ofG.     

Uniform cyclic edge connectivity in cubic graphs

A cubic graph which is cyclicallyk-edge connected and has the further property that every edge belongs to some cyclick-edge cut is called uniformly cyclicallyk-edge connected(U(k)). We classify theU(5) graphs and show that all cyclically 5-edge connected cubic graphs can be generated from a small finite set ofU(5) graphs by a sequence of defined operations.MATHDAHCOTAGE.AC.NZ     

Decomposition of 3-connected graphs

Cunningham and Edmonds [4[ have proved that a 2-connected graphG has a unique minimal decomposition into graphs, each of which is either 3-connected, a bond or a polygon. They define the notion of a good split, and first prove thatG has a unique minimal decomposition into graphs, none of which has a good split, and second prove that the graphs that do not have a good split are precisely 3-connected graphs, bonds and polygons. This paper provides an analogue of the first result above for 3-connected graphs, and an analogue of the second for minimally 3-connected graphs. Following the basic strategy of Cunningham and Edmonds, an appropriate notion of good split is defined. The first main result is that ifG is a 3-connected graph, thenG has a unique minimal decomposition into graphs, none of which has a good split. The second main result is that the minimally 3-connected graphs that do not have a good split are precisely cyclically 4-connected graphs, twirls (K _3,n for somen3) and wheels. From this it is shown that ifG is a minimally 3-connected graph, thenG has a unique minimal decomposition into graphs, each of which is either cyclically 4-connected, a twirl or a wheel.Research partially supported by Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-86-K-0689 at Purdue University.     

On 3-skein isomorphisms of graphs

It is shown that a 3-skein isomorphism between 3-connected graphs with at least 5 vertices is induced by an isomorphism. These graphs have no loops but may be infinite and have multiple edges.     

Cycles through ten vertices in 3-connected cubic graphs

It is known that there exists a cycle through any nine vertices of a 3-connected cubic graphG. Here we show that if an edge is removed from such a graph, then there is still a cycle through any five vertices. Furthermore, we characterise the circumstances in which there fails to be a cycle through six. As corollaries we are able to prove that a 3-connected cubic graph has a cycle through any specified five vertices and one edge, and to classify the conditions under which it has a cycle through four chosen vertices and two edges. We are able to use the five and six vertex results to show that a 3-connected cubic graph has a cycle which passes through any ten given vertices if and only if the graph is not contractible to the Petersen graph in such a way that the ten vertices each map to a distinct vertex of the Petersen graph.     

Counting perfect matchings in n-extendable graphs

The structural theory of matchings is used to establish lower bounds on the number of perfect matchings in n-extendable graphs. It is shown that any such graph on p vertices and q edges contains at least ⌈(n+1)!/4[q-p-(n-1)(2Δ-3)+4]⌉ different perfect matchings, where Δ is the maximum degree of a vertex in G.