Locally 3‐Transitive Graphs of Girth 4

A natural topic of algebraic graph theory is the study of vertex transitive graphs. In the present article, we investigate locally 3‐transitive graphs of girth 4. Taking our former results on locally symmetric graphs of girth 4 as a starting point, we show what properties are retained if we weaken the requirement of local symmetry to local 3‐transitivity.     

I‐graphs and the corresponding configurations

We consider the class of I‐graphs I(n,j,k), which is a generalization over the class of the generalized Petersen graphs. We study different properties of I‐graphs, such as connectedness, girth, and whether they are bipartite or vertex‐transitive. We give an efficient test for isomorphism of I‐graphs and characterize the automorphism groups of I‐graphs. Regular bipartite graphs with girth at least 6 can be considered as Levi graphs of some symmetric combinatorial configurations. We consider configurations that arise from bipartite I‐graphs. Some of them can be realized in the plane as cyclic astral configurations, i.e., as geometric configurations with maximal isometric symmetry. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

On Narrow Hexagonal Graphs with a 3-Homogeneous Suborbit

A connected graph of girth m 3 is called a polygonal graph if it contains a set of m-gons such that every path of length two is contained in a unique element of the set. In this paper we investigate polygonal graphs of girth 6 or more having automorphism groups which are transitive on the vertices and such that the vertex stabilizers are 3-homogeneous on adjacent vertices. We previously showed that the study of such graphs divides naturally into a number of substantial subcases. Here we analyze one of these cases and characterize the k-valent polygonal graphs of girth 6 which have automorphism groups transitive on vertices, which preserve the set of special hexagons, and which have a suborbit of size k – 1 at distance three from a given vertex.     

Hypohamiltonian Planar Cubic Graphs with Girth 5

A graph is called hypohamiltonian if it is not hamiltonian but becomes hamiltonian if any vertex is removed. Many hypohamiltonian planar cubic graphs have been found, starting with constructions of Thomassen in 1981. However, all the examples found until now had 4‐cycles. In this note we present the first examples of hypohamiltonian planar cubic graphs with cyclic connectivity 5, and thus girth 5. We show by computer search that the smallest members of this class are three graphs with 76 vertices.     

Finite vertex primitive 2-arc regular graphs

A classification is given of finite graphs that are vertex primitive and 2-arc regular. The classification involves various new constructions of interesting 2-arc transitive graphs.     

Finite 2‐Distance Transitive Graphs

A noncomplete graph Γ is said to be (G, 2)‐distance transitive if G is a subgroup of the automorphism group of Γ that is transitive on the vertex set of Γ, and for any vertex u of Γ, the stabilizer is transitive on the sets of vertices at distances 1 and 2 from u. This article investigates the family of (G, 2)‐distance transitive graphs that are not (G, 2)‐arc transitive. Our main result is the classification of such graphs of valency not greater than 5. We also prove several results about (G, 2)‐distance transitive, but not (G, 2)‐arc transitive graphs of girth 4.     

Primitivity and independent sets in direct products of vertex‐transitive graphs

We introduce the concept of the primitivity of independent set in vertex‐transitive graphs, and investigate the relationship between the primitivity and the structure of maximum independent sets in direct products of vertex‐transitive graphs. As a consequence of our main results, we positively solve an open problem related to the structure of independent sets in powers of vertex‐transitive graphs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 67: 218‐225, 2011     

Planar embeddings with infinite faces

We investigate vertex‐transitive graphs that admit planar embeddings having infinite faces, i.e., faces whose boundary is a double ray. In the case of graphs with connectivity exactly 2, we present examples wherein no face is finite. In particular, the planar embeddings of the Cartesian product of the r‐valent tree with K₂ are comprehensively studied and enumerated, as are the automorphisms of the resulting maps, and it is shown for r = 3 that no vertex‐transitive group of graph automorphisms is extendable to a group of homeomorphisms of the plane. We present all known families of infinite, locally finite, vertex‐transitive graphs of connectivity 3 and an infinite family of 4‐connected graphs that admit planar embeddings wherein each vertex is incident with an infinite face. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 42: 257–275, 2003     

Lexicographic products with high reconstruction numbers

The reconstruction number of a graph is the smallest number of vertex-deleted subgraphs needed to uniquely determine the graph up to isomorphism. Bollobás showed that almost all graphs have reconstruction number equal to three. McMullen and Radziszowski published a catalogue of all graphs on at most ten vertices with reconstruction number greater than three. We introduce constructions that generalize the examples identified in their work. In particular, we use lexicographic products of vertex transitive graphs with certain starter graphs from the work of Myrvold and from the work of Harary and Plantholt to generate new infinite families of graphs with high reconstruction numbers. In the process, we settle a question of McMullen and Radziszowski.     

On cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs

In 1983, the second author [D. Maru?i?, Ars Combinatoria 16B (1983), 297–302] asked for which positive integers n there exists a non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph on n vertices. (The term non‐Cayley numbers has later been given to such integers.) Motivated by this problem, Feng [Discrete Math 248 (2002), 265–269] asked to determine the smallest valency ?(n) among valencies of non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order n. As cycles are clearly Cayley graphs, ?(n)?3 for any non‐Cayley number n. In this paper a goal is set to determine those non‐Cayley numbers n for which ?(n) = 3, and among the latter to determine those for which the generalized Petersen graphs are the only non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order n. It is known that for a prime p every vertex‐transitive graph of order p, p² or p³ is a Cayley graph, and that, with the exception of the Coxeter graph, every cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph of order 2p, 4p or 2p² is a generalized Petersen graph. In this paper the next natural step is taken by proving that every cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph of order 4p², p>7 a prime, is a generalized Petersen graph. In addition, cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order 2p^k, where p>7 is a prime and k?p, are characterized. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 69: 77–95, 2012     

Regular graphs with given girth pair

The girth pair of a graph gives the length of a shortest odd and a shortest even cycle. The existence of regular graphs with given degree and girth pair is proved and simple bounds for their smallest order are developed. Several infinite classes of such graphs are constructed and it is proved that two of these families consist of smallest graphs.     

3‐Factor‐Criticality of Vertex‐Transitive Graphs

A graph of order n is p ‐factor‐critical, where p is an integer of the same parity as n, if the removal of any set of p vertices results in a graph with a perfect matching. 1‐factor‐critical graphs and 2‐factor‐critical graphs are factor‐critical graphs and bicritical graphs, respectively. It is well known that every connected vertex‐transitive graph of odd order is factor‐critical and every connected nonbipartite vertex‐transitive graph of even order is bicritical. In this article, we show that a simple connected vertex‐transitive graph of odd order at least five is 3‐factor‐critical if and only if it is not a cycle.     

Stability of arc‐transitive graphs

The present paper investigates arc‐transtive graphs in terms of their stability, and shows, somewhat contrary to expectations, that the property of instability is not as rare as previously thought. Until quite recently, the only known example of a finite, arc‐transitive vertex‐determining unstable graph was the underlying graph of the dodecahedron. This paper illustrates some methods for constructing finite arc‐transitive unstable graphs, and three infinite families of such graphs are given as applications. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 38: 95–110, 2001     

Planar Hypohamiltonian Graphs on 40 Vertices

A graph is hypohamiltonian if it is not Hamiltonian, but the deletion of any single vertex gives a Hamiltonian graph. Until now, the smallest known planar hypohamiltonian graph had 42 vertices, a result due to Araya and Wiener. That result is here improved upon by 25 planar hypohamiltonian graphs of order 40, which are found through computer‐aided generation of certain families of planar graphs with girth 4 and a fixed number of 4‐faces. It is further shown that planar hypohamiltonian graphs exist for all orders greater than or equal to 42. If Hamiltonian cycles are replaced by Hamiltonian paths throughout the definition of hypohamiltonian graphs, we get the definition of hypotraceable graphs. It is shown that there is a planar hypotraceable graph of order 154 and of all orders greater than or equal to 156. We also show that the smallest planar hypohamiltonian graph of girth 5 has 45 vertices.     

Fast generation of regular graphs and construction of cages

The construction of complete lists of regular graphs up to isomorphism is one of the oldest problems in constructive combinatorics. In this article an efficient algorithm to generate regular graphs with a given number of vertices and vertex degree is introduced. The method is based on orderly generation refined by criteria to avoid isomorphism checking and combined with a fast test for canonicity. The implementation allows computing even large classes of graphs, like construction of the 4‐regular graphs on 18 vertices and, for the first time, the 5‐regular graphs on 16 vertices. Also in cases with given girth, some remarkable results are obtained. For instance, the 5‐regular graphs with girth 5 and minimal number of vertices were generated in less than 1 h. There exist exactly four (5, 5)‐cages. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 30: 137–146, 1999     

Graphs with Special Arcs and Cryptography

A combinatorial method of encryption with a similarity to the classical scheme of linear coding has been suggested by the author. The general idea is to treat vertices of a graph as messages and arcs of a certain length as encryption tools. We will study the quality of such an encryption in the case of graphs of high girth by comparing the probability to guess the message, (vertex) at random with the probability of breaking the key, i.e. guessing the encoding arc. In fact, the quality is good for graphs which are close to the Erdös bound, defined by the Even Cycle Theorem.In the case of parallelotopic graphs, there is a uniform way to match arcs with strings in a certain alphabet. Among parallelotopic graphs we distinguish linguistic graphs of affine type whose vertices (messages) and arcs (encoding tools) both could be naturally identified with vectors over the GF(q), and neighbors of the vertex defined by a system of linear equations. We will discuss families of linguistic and parallelotopic graphs of increasing girth as the source for assymmetric cryptographic functions and related open key algorithms.Several constructions of families of linguistic graphs of high girth with good quality, complexity and expansion coefficients will be considered. Some of those constructions have been obtained via group-theoretical and geometrical techniques.     

On circle graphs with girth at least five

Circle graphs with girth at least five are known to be 2-degenerate (Ageev, 1999). In this paper, we prove that circle graphs with girth at least g ⩾ 5 contain a vertex of degree at most one, or a chain of g− 4 vertices of degree two, which implies Ageev's result in the case g = 5. We then use this structural property to give an upper bound on the circular chromatic number of circle graphs with girth at least g ⩾ 5 as well as a precise estimate of their maximum average degree.     

Locally 2‐arc transitive graphs,homogeneous factorizations,and partial linear spaces

We establish natural bijections between three different classes of combinatorial objects; namely certain families of locally 2‐arc transitive graphs, partial linear spaces, and homogeneous factorizations of arc‐transitive graphs. Moreover, the bijections intertwine the actions of the relevant automorphism groups. Thus constructions in any of these areas provide examples for the others. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 14: 139–148, 2006     

Superconnected and Hyperconnected Small Degree Transitive Graphs

A graph is said to be superconnected if every minimum vertex cut isolates a vertex. A graph is said to be hyperconnected if each minimum vertex cut creates exactly two components, one of which is an isolated vertex. In this paper, we characterize superconnected or hyperconnected vertex transitive graphs with degree 4 and 5. As a corollary, superconnected or hyperconnected planar transitive graphs are characterized.