Cubicity, boxicity, and vertex cover

A k-dimensional box is the cartesian product R₁×R₂×?×R_k where each R_i is a closed interval on the real line. The boxicity of a graph G, denoted as box(G), is the minimum integer k such that G is the intersection graph of a collection of k-dimensional boxes. A unit cube in k-dimensional space or a k-cube is defined as the cartesian product R₁×R₂×?×R_k where each R_i is a closed interval on the real line of the form [a_i,a_i+1]. The cubicity of G, denoted as cub(G), is the minimum k such that G is the intersection graph of a collection of k-cubes. In this paper we show that cub(G)≤t+⌈log(n−t)⌉−1 and , where t is the cardinality of a minimum vertex cover of G and n is the number of vertices of G. We also show the tightness of these upper bounds.F.S. Roberts in his pioneering paper on boxicity and cubicity had shown that for a graph G, and , where n is the number of vertices of G, and these bounds are tight. We show that if G is a bipartite graph then and this bound is tight. We also show that if G is a bipartite graph then . We point out that there exist graphs of very high boxicity but with very low chromatic number. For example there exist bipartite (i.e., 2 colorable) graphs with boxicity equal to . Interestingly, if boxicity is very close to , then chromatic number also has to be very high. In particular, we show that if , s≥0, then , where χ(G) is the chromatic number of G.     

Injective colorings of sparse graphs

Let denote the maximum average degree (over all subgraphs) of G and let χ_i(G) denote the injective chromatic number of G. We prove that if , then χ_i(G)≤Δ(G)+1; and if , then χ_i(G)=Δ(G). Suppose that G is a planar graph with girth g(G) and Δ(G)≥4. We prove that if g(G)≥9, then χ_i(G)≤Δ(G)+1; similarly, if g(G)≥13, then χ_i(G)=Δ(G).     

Families of low dimensional determinantal schemes

A scheme X⊂Pⁿ of codimension c is called standard determinantal if its homogeneous saturated ideal can be generated by the t×t minors of a homogeneous t×(t+c−1) matrix (f_ij). Given integers a₀≤a₁≤?≤a_t+c−2 and b₁≤?≤b_t, we denote by the stratum of standard determinantal schemes where f_ij are homogeneous polynomials of degrees a_j−b_i and is the Hilbert scheme (if n−c>0, resp. the postulation Hilbert scheme if n−c=0).Focusing mainly on zero and one dimensional determinantal schemes we determine the codimension of in and we show that is generically smooth along under certain conditions. For zero dimensional schemes (only) we find a counterexample to the conjectured value of appearing in Kleppe and Miró-Roig (2005) [25].     

General neighbour-distinguishing index via chromatic number

An edge colouring of a graph G without isolated edges is neighbour-distinguishing if any two adjacent vertices have distinct sets consisting of colours of their incident edges. The general neighbour-distinguishing index of G is the minimum number of colours in a neighbour-distinguishing edge colouring of G. Gy?ri et al. [E. Gy?ri, M. Horňák, C. Palmer, M. Wo?niak, General neighbour-distinguishing index of a graph, Discrete Math. 308 (2008) 827-831] proved that provided G is bipartite and gave a complete characterisation of bipartite graphs according to their general neighbour-distinguishing index. The aim of this paper is to prove that if χ(G)≥3, then . Therefore, if log₂χ(G)∉Z, then .     

The evolution of the min-min random graph process

We study the following min-min random graph process G=(G₀,G₁,…): the initial state G₀ is an empty graph on n vertices (n even). Further, G_M+1 is obtained from G_M by choosing a pair {v,w} of distinct vertices of minimum degree uniformly at random among all such pairs in G_M and adding the edge {v,w}. The process may produce multiple edges. We show that G_M is asymptotically almost surely disconnected if M≤n, and that for M=(1+t)n, constant, the probability that G_M is connected increases from 0 to 1. Furthermore, we investigate the number X of vertices outside the giant component of G_M for M=(1+t)n. For constant we derive the precise limiting distribution of X. In addition, for n⁻¹ln⁴n≤t=o(1) we show that tX converges to a gamma distribution.     

Directed 3-cycle decompositions of complete directed graphs with quadratic leaves

Let G be a vertex-disjoint union of directed cycles in the complete directed graph D_t, let |E(G)| be the number of directed edges of G and suppose or if t=5, and if t=6. It is proved in this paper that for each positive integer t, there exist -decompositions for D_t−G if and only if .     

Equitable colorings of Kronecker products of graphs

For a positive integer k, a graph G is equitably k-colorable if there is a mapping f:V(G)→{1,2,…,k} such that f(x)≠f(y) whenever xy∈E(G) and ||f⁻¹(i)|−|f⁻¹(j)||≤1 for 1≤i<j≤k. The equitable chromatic number of a graph G, denoted by χ₌(G), is the minimum k such that G is equitably k-colorable. The equitable chromatic threshold of a graph G, denoted by , is the minimum t such that G is equitably k-colorable for k≥t. The current paper studies equitable chromatic numbers of Kronecker products of graphs. In particular, we give exact values or upper bounds on χ₌(G×H) and when G and H are complete graphs, bipartite graphs, paths or cycles.     

Subgraph induced by the set of degree 5 vertices in a contraction critically 5-connected graph

An edge of a 5-connected graph is said to be contractible if the contraction of the edge results in a 5-connected graph. A 5-connected graph with no contractible edge is said to be contraction critically 5-connected. Let G be a contraction critically 5-connected graph and let H be a component of the subgraph induced by the set of degree 5 vertices of G. Then it is known that |V(H)|≥4. We prove that if |V(H)|=4, then , where stands for the graph obtained from K₄ by deleting one edge. Moreover, we show that either |N_G(V(H))|=5 or |N_G(V(H))|=6 and around H there is one of two specified structures called a -configuration and a split -configuration.     

Linkability in iterated line graphs

We prove that for every graph H with the minimum degree δ?5, the third iterated line graph L³(H) of H contains as a minor. Using this fact we prove that if G is a connected graph distinct from a path, then there is a number k_G such that for every i?k_G the i-iterated line graph of G is -linked. Since the degree of Lⁱ(G) is even, the result is best possible.     

Graphs with maximal signless Laplacian spectral radius

By the signless Laplacian of a (simple) graph G we mean the matrix Q(G)=D(G)+A(G), where A(G),D(G) denote respectively the adjacency matrix and the diagonal matrix of vertex degrees of G. It is known that connected graphs G that maximize the signless Laplacian spectral radius ρ(Q(G)) over all connected graphs with given numbers of vertices and edges are (degree) maximal. For a maximal graph G with n vertices and r distinct vertex degrees δ_r>δ_r-1>?>δ₁, it is proved that ρ(Q(G))<ρ(Q(H)) for some maximal graph H with n+1 (respectively, n) vertices and the same number of edges as G if either G has precisely two dominating vertices or there exists an integer such that δ_i+δ_r+1-i?n+1 (respectively, δ_i+δ_r+1-i?δ_l+δ_r-l+1). Graphs that maximize ρ(Q(G)) over the class of graphs with m edges and m-k vertices, for k=0,1,2,3, are completely determined.     

On signed cycle domination in graphs

Let G=(V,E) be a graph, a function f:E→{−1,1} is said to be an signed cycle dominating function (SCDF) of G if ∑_e∈E(C)f(e)≥1 holds for any induced cycle C of G. The signed cycle domination number of G is defined as is an SCDF of G}. In this paper, we obtain bounds on , characterize all connected graphs G with , and determine the exact value of for some special classes of graphs G. In addition, we pose some open problems and conjectures.     

Total colorings and list total colorings of planar graphs without intersecting 4-cycles

Suppose that G is a planar graph with maximum degree Δ and without intersecting 4-cycles, that is, no two cycles of length 4 have a common vertex. Let χ^″(G), and denote the total chromatic number, list edge chromatic number and list total chromatic number of G, respectively. In this paper, it is proved that χ^″(G)=Δ+1 if Δ≥7, and and if Δ(G)≥8. Furthermore, if G is a graph embedded in a surface of nonnegative characteristic, then our results also hold.     

Boxicity of line graphs

The boxicity of a graph H, denoted by , is the minimum integer k such that H is an intersection graph of axis-parallel k-dimensional boxes in R^k. In this paper we show that for a line graph G of a multigraph, , where Δ(G) denotes the maximum degree of G. Since G is a line graph, Δ(G)≤2(χ(G)−1), where χ(G) denotes the chromatic number of G, and therefore, . For the d-dimensional hypercube Q_d, we prove that . The question of finding a nontrivial lower bound for was left open by Chandran and Sivadasan in [L. Sunil Chandran, Naveen Sivadasan, The cubicity of Hypercube Graphs. Discrete Mathematics 308 (23) (2008) 5795–5800].The above results are consequences of bounds that we obtain for the boxicity of a fully subdivided graph (a graph that can be obtained by subdividing every edge of a graph exactly once).     

Note on robust critical graphs with large odd girth

A graph G is (k+1)-critical if it is not k-colourable but G−e is k-colourable for any edge e∈E(G). In this paper we show that for any integers k≥3 and l≥5 there exists a constant c=c(k,l)>0, such that for all , there exists a (k+1)-critical graph G on n vertices with and odd girth at least ?, which can be made (k−1)-colourable only by the omission of at least cn² edges.     

Domination of generalized Cartesian products

The generalized prism πG of G is the graph consisting of two copies of G, with edges between the copies determined by a permutation π acting on the vertices of G. We define a generalized Cartesian product that corresponds to the Cartesian product when π is the identity, and the generalized prism when H is the graph K₂. Burger, Mynhardt and Weakley [A.P. Burger, C.M. Mynhardt, W.D. Weakley, On the domination number of prisms of graphs, Discuss. Math. Graph Theory 24 (2) (2004) 303-318.] characterized universal doublers, i.e. graphs for which γ(πG)=2γ(G) for any π. In general for any n≥2 and permutation π, and a graph attaining equality in this upper bound for all π is called a universal multiplier. We characterize such graphs.     

Graham’s pebbling conjecture on product of thorn graphs of complete graphs

The pebbling number of a graph G, f(G), is the least n such that, no matter how n pebbles are placed on the vertices of G, we can move a pebble to any vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves, each move taking two pebbles off one vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. Let p₁,p₂,…,p_n be positive integers and G be such a graph, V(G)=n. The thorn graph of the graph G, with parameters p₁,p₂,…,p_n, is obtained by attaching p_i new vertices of degree 1 to the vertex u_i of the graph G, i=1,2,…,n. Graham conjectured that for any connected graphs G and H, f(G×H)≤f(G)f(H). We show that Graham’s conjecture holds true for a thorn graph of the complete graph with every by a graph with the two-pebbling property. As a corollary, Graham’s conjecture holds when G and H are the thorn graphs of the complete graphs with every .     

Variable neighborhood search for extremal graphs. 23. On the Randi? index and the chromatic number

Let G=(V,E) be a simple graph with vertex degrees d₁,d₂,…,d_n. The Randi? index R(G) is equal to the sum over all edges (i,j)∈E of weights . We prove several conjectures, obtained by the system AutoGraphiX, relating R(G) and the chromatic number χ(G). The main result is χ(G)≤2R(G). To prove it, we also show that if v∈V is a vertex of minimum degree δ of G, G−v the graph obtained from G by deleting v and all incident edges, and Δ the maximum degree of G, then .     

Domination with exponential decay

Let G be a graph and S⊆V(G). For each vertex u∈S and for each v∈V(G)−S, we define to be the length of a shortest path in 〈V(G)−(S−{u})〉 if such a path exists, and ∞ otherwise. Let v∈V(G). We define if v⁄∈S, and w_S(v)=2 if v∈S. If, for each v∈V(G), we have w_S(v)≥1, then S is an exponential dominating set. The smallest cardinality of an exponential dominating set is the exponential domination number, γ_e(G). In this paper, we prove: (i) that if G is a connected graph of diameter d, then γ_e(G)≥(d+2)/4, and, (ii) that if G is a connected graph of order n, then .     

Characteristic polynomial of a generalized complete product of matrices

For a simple graph G, let denote the complement of G relative to the complete graph and let P_G(x)=det(xI-A(G)) where A(G) denotes the adjacency matrix of G. The complete product G∇H of two simple graphs G and H is the graph obtained from G and H by joining every vertex of G to every vertex of H. In [2]P_G∇H(x) is represented in terms of P_G, , P_H and . In this paper we extend the notion of complete product of simple graphs to that of generalized complete product of matrices and obtain their characteristic polynomials.     

The asymptotic number of spanning trees in circulant graphs

Let T(G) be the number of spanning trees in graph G. In this note, we explore the asymptotics of T(G) when G is a circulant graph with given jumps.The circulant graph is the 2k-regular graph with n vertices labeled 0,1,2,…,n−1, where node i has the 2k neighbors i±s₁,i±s₂,…,i±s_k where all the operations are . We give a closed formula for the asymptotic limit as a function of s₁,s₂,…,s_k. We then extend this by permitting some of the jumps to be linear functions of n, i.e., letting s_i, d_i and e_i be arbitrary integers, and examining