Balancing signed graphs

A signed graph based on F is an ordinary graph F with each edge marked as positive or negative. Such a graph is called balanced if each of its cycles includes an even number of negative edges. Psychologists are sometimes interested in the smallest number d=d(G) such that a signed graph G may be converted into a balanced graph by changing the signs of d edges. We investigate the number D(F) defined as the largest d(G) such that G is a signed graph based on F. We prove that $\text{1}\text{2}\text{m?}\text{nm}\text{≤D(F)≤}\text{1}\text{2}\text{m}$ for every graph F with n vertices and m edges. If F is the complete bipartite graph with t vertices in each part, then $\text{D(F)≤}\text{1}\text{2}\text{t}{}^2\text{?ct}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ for some positive constant c.     

Minimally k-connected graphs of low order and maximal size

Let G be a minimally k-connected graph of order n and size e(G).Mader [4] proved that (i) $\text{e(G)?kn?(}\text{k+1}\text{2}\text{)}$; (ii) e(G)?k(n?k) if n?3k?2, and the complete bipartite graph K_k,n?k is the only minimally k-connected graph of order; n and size k(n?k) when k?2 and n?3k?1.The purpose of the present paper is to determine all minimally k-connected graphs of low order and maximal size. For each n such that k+1?n?3k?2 we prove $\text{e(G)??}\text{(n+k)}{}^2\text{8}\text{?}$ and characterize all minimally k-connected graphs of order n and size $\text{?(}\text{(n+k)}{}^2\text{8}\text{?}$.     

Topological cliques of random graphs

Given a graph G, denote by tcl(G) the largest integer r for which G contains a TK^r, a toplogical complete r-graph. We show that for every ? > 0 almost every graph G of order n satisfies

$\text{(2?ε)n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{?}\text{tlc}\text{(G)?(2+ε)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$

     

Random near-regular graphs and the node packing problem

Nemhauser and Trotter [12] proposed a certain easily-solved linear program as a relaxation of the node packing problem. They showed that any variables receiving integer values in an optimal solution to this linear program also take on the same values in an optimal solution to the (integer) node packing problem. Let π be the property of graphs defined as follows: a graph G has property π if and only if there is a unique optimal solution to the linear-relaxation problem, and this solution is completely fractional. If a graph G has property π then no information about the node packing problem on G is gained by solving the linear relaxation. We calculate the asymptotic probability that a certain type of ‘sparse’ random graph has property π, as the number of its nodes tends to infinity. Let m be a fixed positive integer, and consider the following random graph on the node set {1,2 …, n}). We join each node, j say, to exactly m other nodes chosen randomly with replacement, by edges oriented away from j; we denote by G_n(m) the undirected graph obtained by deleting all orientations and allowing all parallel edges to coalesce. We show that, as n → ∞,

$\text{P(G}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{(m)}\text{has property}\text{π)→}\text{0}\text{if}\text{m = 1,}\text{1}\text{if}\text{m ? 3,}$

and we conjecture that $\text{P(G}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{(2)}\text{has property}\text{π)→ (1–2e}{}^{\mathrm{?2}}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$.     

Vertex degrees of planar graphs

Let G be a planar graph having n vertices with vertex degrees d₁, d₂,…,d_n. It is shown that $\text{Σ}{}_{\mathrm{i=1}}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{d}{}_{\mathrm{i}}{}^2\text{≤ 2n}{}^2\text{+ O(n)}$. The main term in this upper bound is best possible.     

An exact threshold theorem for random graphs and the node-packing problem

The usual linear relaxation of the node-packing problem contains no useful information when the underlying graph G has the property of “bicriticality.” We consider a sparse random graph G_n(m) obtained in the usual way from a random directed graph with fixed out-degree m and show that the probability that G_n(2) is bicritical tends to $\text{(1−2e}{}^{\mathrm{-2}}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ as n→∞. This confirms a conjecture by G. R. Grimmett and W. R. Pulleyblank (Oper. Res. Lett., in press).     

Cycles of even length in graphs

In this paper we solve a conjecture of P. Erdös by showing that if a graph Gⁿ has n vertices and at least $\text{100kn}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1+</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>k</mtext>}}$ edges, then G contains a cycle C^2l of length 2l for every integer $\text{l ∈ [k, kn}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>k</mtext>}}\text{]}$. Apart from the value of the constant this result is best possible. It is obtained from a more general theorem which also yields corresponding results in the case where Gⁿ has only cn(log n)^α edges (α ≥ 1).     

On total matching numbers and total covering numbers of complementary graphs

Best upper and lower bounds, as functions of n, are obtained for the quantities $\text{β}{}_2\text{(G)+β}{}_2\text{(}\text{G}\text{?}\text{)}$ and $\text{α}{}_2\text{(G)+α}{}_2\text{(}\text{G}\text{?}\text{)}$, where β₂(G) denotes the total matching number and α₂(G) the total covering number of any graph G with n vertices and with complementry graph ?.The best upper bound is obtained also for α₂(G)+β₂(G), when G is a connected graph.     

On separating systems of graphs

Given a finite loopless graph G (resp. digraph D), let σ(G), ?(G) and ψ(D) denote the minimal cardinalities of a completely separating system of G, a separating system of G and a separating system of D, respectively. The main results of this paper are:

$\text{δ(G) =}\text{min}\text{m}{}^{\mathrm{m}}{}_{\mathrm{?m/2?}}\text{?γ(G)}\text{and}\text{?(G) = ?}\text{log}{}_2\text{γ(G)?}\text{where}\text{γ(G)}$

denotes the chromatic number of G. (ii) All the problems of determining σ(G), ?(G) and ψ(D) are NP-complete.     

Comparability graphs and intersection graphs

A function diagram (f-diagram) D consists of the family of curves {$\text{1}\text{?}$ñ} obtained from n continuous functions $\text{f}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{:[0,1]→}\text{R}\text{(1?i?n)}$. We call the intersection graph of D a function graph (f-graph). It is shown that a graph G is an f-graph if and only if its complement ? is a comparability graph. An f-diagram generalizes the notion of a permulation diagram where the f_i are linear functions. It is also shown that G is the intersection graph of the concatenation of ?k permutation diagrams if and only if the partial order dimension of $\text{G}\text{?}\text{is ?k+1}$. Computational complexity results are obtained for recognizing such graphs.     

On graphs which contain all small trees

We investigate those graphs G_n with the property that any tree on n vertices occurs as subgraph of G_n. In particular, we consider the problem of estimating the minimum number of edges such a graph can have. We show that this number is bounded below and above by $\text{1}\text{2}\text{n}\text{log}\text{n}$ and $\text{n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1+</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>log\; log</mtext><mtext>\; n</mtext>}}$, respectively.     

Duality of infinite graphs

Some basic results on duality of infinite graphs are established and it is proven that a block has a dual graph if and only if it is planar and any two vertices are separated by a finite edge cut. Also, the graphs having predual graphs are characterized completely and it is shown that if $\text{G}{}^1$ is a dual and predual graph of G, then G and $\text{G}{}^1$ can be represented as geometric dual graphs. The uniqueness of dual graphs is investigated, in particular, Whitney's 2-isomorphism theorem is extended to infinite graphs. Finally, infinite minimal cuts in dual graphs are studied and the characterization (in terms of planarity and separation properties) of the graphs having dual graphs satisfying conditions on the infinite cuts, as well, is included.     

Some properties of irreducible coverings by cliques of complete multipartite graphs

In this paper some recursion formulas and asymptotic properties are derived for the numbers, denoted by N(p, q), of irreducible coverings by edges of the vertices of complete bipartite (labeled) graphs K_p,q. The problem of determining numbers N(p, q) has been raised by I. Tomescu (dans “Logique, Automatique, Informatique,” pp. 269–423, Ed. Acad. R.S.R., Bucharest, 1971). A result concerning the asymptotic behavior of the number of irreducible coverings by cliques of q-partite complete graphs is obtained and it is proved that , $\text{lim}{}_{\mathrm{n\to \infty }}\text{(}\text{log}\text{M(n))}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>n</mtext>}}\text{= 3}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}$, and $\text{lim}{}_{\mathrm{n\to \infty }}\text{C(n)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>n</mtext>}}\text{(}\text{n}\text{ln}\text{n)}\text{=}\text{1}\text{e}$, where I(n) and M(n) are the maximal numbers of irreducible coverings, respectively, coverings by cliques of the vertices of an n-vertex graph, and C(n) is the maximal number of minimal colorings of an n-vertex graph. It is also shown that maximal number of irreducible coverings by n ? 2 cliques of the vertices of an n-vertex graph (n ≥ 4) is equal to 2^n?2 ? 2 and this number of coverings is attained only for K_2,n?2 and the value of $\text{lim}{}_{\mathrm{n\to \infty }}\text{I(n, n ? k)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>n</mtext>}}$ is obtained, where I(n, n ? k) denotes the maximal number of irreducible coverings of an n-vertex graph by n ? k cliques.     

Planar cubic hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

Infinite families of planar cubic hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs are described and these are used to prove that the maximum degree and the maximum number of edges in a hypohamiltonian graph with n vertices are approximately $\text{n}\text{2}$ and $\text{n}{}^2\text{4}$, respectively. Also, the possible order of a cubic hypohamiltonian graph is determined.     

n-Tuple colorings and associated graphs

The n-tuple graph coloring, which assigns to each vertex n colors, is defined together with its respective chromatic number x_n. It is proved that these numbers satisfy the inequality x_n ≥ 2 + x_n?1, and that equality holds only for bipartite graphs. Graphs $\text{G}{}_{\mathrm{n}}{}^{\mathrm{m}}$ are defined which play the same role for the n-tuple coloring that K_m plays for the conventional coloring. The chromatic numbers of various classes of graphs are also calculated.     

Graphes orientes indécomposables en circuits hamiltoniens

Let G be a cubic graph of order 2n consisting of a cycle plus a perfect matching and let $\text{G}{}^1$ be the symmetric digraph obtained from G by replacing each edge of G by two opposite arcs. In this paper we study when $\text{G}{}^1$ can be decomposed into three hamiltonian circuits and in particular we prove that such a decomposition is impossible if n is even.     

Spectra of Cayley graphs

By a result of L. Lovász, the determination of the spectrum of any graph with transitive automorphism group easily reduces to that of some Cayley graph.We derive an expression for the spectrum of the Cayley graph X(G,H) in terms of irreducible characters of the group G:

for any natural number t, where ξ_i is an irreducible character (over $\text{C}$), of degree n_i , and λ_i,1 ,…, λ_i,ni are eigenvalues of X(G, H), each one n_i times. (σn_i² = n = | G | is the total'number of eigenvalues.) Using this formula for t = 1,…, n_i one can obtain a polynomial of degree n_i whose roots are λ_i,1,…,λ_i,ni. The results are formulated for directed graphs with colored edges. We apply the results to dihedral groups and prove the existence of k nonisomorphic Cayley graphs of D_p with the same spectrum provided p > 64k, prime.     

Uniqueness and faithfulness of embedding of toroidal graphs

A topological generalization of the uniqueness of duals of 3-connected planar graphs will be obtained. A graph G is uniquely embeddable in a surface F if for any two embeddings $\text{?}{}_1$, $\text{?}{}_2\text{:G → F}$, there are an autohomeomorphism h:F → F and an automorphism σ:G → G such that $\text{h°?}{}_1\text{= ?}{}_2\text{°σ}$. A graph G is faithfully embedabble in a surface F if there is an embedding $\text{?:G → F}$ such that for any automorphism σ:G → G, there is an autohomeomorphism h:F → F with $\text{h°? = f°σ}$. Our main theorems state that any 6-connected toroidal graph is uniquelly embeddable in a torus and that any 6-connected toroidal graph with precisely three exceptions is faithfully embeddable in a torus. The proofs are based on a classification of 6-regular torus graphs.     

Factorizing the complete graph into factors with large star number

The graph G has star number n if any n vertices of G belong to a subgraph which is a star. Let f(n, k) be the smallest number m such that the complete graph on m vertices can be factorized into k factors with star number n. In the present paper we prove that $\text{c}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{k ≤ f(n, k) < c}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{k}$.