Extremal problems on the Hamiltonicity of claw-free graphs

In 1962, Erd?s proved that if a graph $G$ with $n$ vertices satisfies

$e\left(G\right)>max\left\{\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n?k}{2}\right)+k^2,\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{?(n+1)∕2?}{2}\right)+{?\frac{n?1}{2}?}^2\right\},$

where the minimum degree $\delta \left(G\right)\ge k$ and $1\le k\le (n?1)∕2$, then it is Hamiltonian. For $n\ge 2k+1$, let $E_n^k=K_k\vee (k{K}_1+K_{n?2k})$, where “$\vee$” is the “join” operation. One can observe $e\left(E_n^k\right)=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n?k}{2}\right)+k^2$ and $E_n^k$ is not Hamiltonian. As $E_n^k$ contains induced claws for $k\ge 2$, a natural question is to characterize all 2-connected claw-free non-Hamiltonian graphs with the largest possible number of edges. We answer this question completely by proving a claw-free analog of Erd?s’ theorem. Moreover, as byproducts, we establish several tight spectral conditions for a 2-connected claw-free graph to be Hamiltonian. Similar results for the traceability of connected claw-free graphs are also obtained. Our tools include Ryjá?ek’s claw-free closure theory and Brousek’s characterization of minimal 2-connected claw-free non-Hamiltonian graphs.     

Stability in the Erdős–Gallai Theorem on cycles and paths,II

The Erd?s–Gallai Theorem states that for $k\ge 3$, any $n$-vertex graph with no cycle of length at least $k$ has at most $\frac{1}{2}(k?1)(n?1)$ edges. A stronger version of the Erd?s–Gallai Theorem was given by Kopylov: If $G$ is a 2-connected $n$-vertex graph with no cycle of length at least $k$, then $e\left(G\right)\le max\{h(n,k,2),h(n,k,?\frac{k?1}{2}?)\}$, where $h(n,k,a)?\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{k?a}{2}\right)+a(n?k+a)$. Furthermore, Kopylov presented the two possible extremal graphs, one with $h(n,k,2)$ edges and one with $h(n,k,?\frac{k?1}{2}?)$ edges.In this paper, we complete a stability theorem which strengthens Kopylov’s result. In particular, we show that for $k\ge 3$ odd and all $n\ge k$, every $n$-vertex 2-connected graph $G$ with no cycle of length at least $k$ is a subgraph of one of the two extremal graphs or $e\left(G\right)\le max\{h(n,k,3),h(n,k,\frac{k?3}{2})\}$. The upper bound for $e\left(G\right)$ here is tight.     

On a conjecture of Füredi

Füredi conjectured that the Boolean lattice $2^{\left[n\right]}$ can be partitioned into $\left(\genfrac{}{}{00}{}{n}{\lfloor n/2\rfloor }\right)$ chains such that the size of any two differs in at most one. In this paper, we prove that there is an absolute constant $\alpha \approx 0.8482$ with the following property: for every $ϵ>0$, if $n$ is sufficiently large, the Boolean lattice $2^{\left[n\right]}$ has a chain partition into $\left(\genfrac{}{}{00}{}{n}{\lfloor n/2\rfloor }\right)$ chains, each of them of size between $(\alpha -ϵ)\sqrt{n}$ and $O(\sqrt{n}/ϵ)$.We deduce this result by looking at the more general setup of unimodal normalized matching posets. We prove that a unimodal normalized matching poset $P$ of width $w$ has a chain partition into $w$ chains, each of size at most $\frac{2\left|P\right|}{w}+5$, and it has a chain partition into $w$ chains, where each chain has size at least $\frac{\left|P\right|}{2w}-\frac{1}{2}$.     

Sparse graphs of girth at least five are packable

A graph is packable if it is a subgraph of its complement. The following statement was conjectured by Faudree, Rousseau, Schelp and Schuster in 1981: every non-star graph $G$ with girth at least $5$ is packable.The conjecture was proved by Faudree et al. with the additional condition that $G$ has at most $\frac{6}{5}n?2$ edges. In this paper, for each integer $k\ge 3$, we prove that every non-star graph with girth at least $5$ and at most $\frac{2k?1}{k}n?{\alpha }_k\left(n\right)$ edges is packable, where ${\alpha }_k\left(n\right)$ is $o\left(n\right)$ for every $k$. This implies that the conjecture is true for sufficiently large planar graphs.     

A discrete isodiametric result: The Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem for multisets

There are many generalizations of the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem. Here the new results (and problems) concern families of $t$-intersecting $k$-element multisets of an $n$-set. We point out connections to coding theory and geometry. We verify the conjecture that for $n\ge t(k-t)+2$ such a family can have at most $\left(\genfrac{}{}{00}{}{n+k-t-1}{k-t}\right)$ members.     

Sums of powers of Catalan triangle numbers

In this paper, we consider combinatorial numbers ${\left(C_{m,k}\right)}_{m\ge 1,k\ge 0}$, mentioned as Catalan triangle numbers where $C_{m,k}?\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{m?1}{k}\right)?\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{m?1}{k?1}\right)$. These numbers unify the entries of the Catalan triangles $B_{n,k}$ and $A_{n,k}$ for appropriate values of parameters $m$ and $k$, i.e., $B_{n,k}=C_{2n,n?k}$ and $A_{n,k}=C_{2n+1,n+1?k}$. In fact, these numbers are suitable rearrangements of the known ballot numbers and some of these numbers are the well-known Catalan numbers $C_n$ that is $C_{2n,n?1}=C_{2n+1,n}=C_n$.We present identities for sums (and alternating sums) of $C_{m,k}$, squares and cubes of $C_{m,k}$ and, consequently, for $B_{n,k}$ and $A_{n,k}$. In particular, one of these identities solves an open problem posed in Gutiérrez et al. (2008). We also give some identities between ${\left(C_{m,k}\right)}_{m\ge 1,k\ge 0}$ and harmonic numbers ${\left(H_n\right)}_{n\ge 1}$. Finally, in the last section, new open problems and identities involving ${\left(C_n\right)}_{n\ge 0}$ are conjectured.