On the use of some known methods forT-colorings of graphs

A generalization of the classical graph coloring model is studied in this paper. The problem we are interested in is a variant of the generalT-coloring problem related in the literature. We want to color the vertices of a graph in such a way that the two colors assigned to two adjacent verticesi andj differ by at least _ij , wheret _ij is a fixed coefficient associated to the edge [i, j]. The goal is to minimize the length of the spectrum of colors used. We present here the results produced by well-known heuristics (tabu search and simulated annealing) applied to the considered problem. The results are compared with optimal colorings obtained by a branch-and-bound algorithm.     

Transitive Edge Coloring of Graphs and Dimension of Lattices

We explore properties of edge colorings of graphs dened by set intersections. An edge coloring of a graph G with vertex set V ={1,2, . . . , n} is called transitive if one can associate sets F ₁,F ₂, . . .,F _n to vertices of G so that for any two edges ij,kl E(G), the color of ij and kl is the same if and only if F _i F _j = F _k F _l . The term transitive refers to a natural partial order on the color set of these colorings.We prove a canonical Ramsey type result for transitive colorings of complete graphs which is equivalent to a stronger form of a conjecture of A. Sali on hypergraphs. This—through the reduction of Sali—shows that the dimension of n-element lattices is o(n) as conjectured by Füredi and Kahn.The proof relies on concepts and results which seem to have independent interest. One of them is a generalization of the induced matching lemma of Ruzsa and Szemerédi for transitive colorings. * Research supported in part by OTKA Grant T029074.     

Bounds on vertex colorings with restrictions on the union of color classes

A proper coloring of a graph is a labeled partition of its vertices into parts which are independent sets. In this paper, given a positive integer j and a family ? of connected graphs, we consider proper colorings in which we require that the union of any j color classes induces a subgraph which has no copy of any member of ?. This generalizes some well‐known types of proper colorings like acyclic colorings (where j = 2 and ?is the collection of all even cycles) and star colorings (where j = 2 and ?consists of just a path on 4 vertices), etc. For this type of coloring, we obtain an upper bound of O(d^{(k ? 1)/(k ? j)}) on the minimum number of colors sufficient to obtain such a coloring. Here, d refers to the maximum degree of the graph and k is the size of the smallest member of ?. For the case of j = 2, we also obtain lower bounds on the minimum number of colors needed in the worst case. As a corollary, we obtain bounds on the minimum number of colors sufficient to obtain proper colorings in which the union of any j color classes is a graph of bounded treewidth. In particular, using O(d^8/7) colors, one can obtain a proper coloring of the vertices of a graph so that the union of any two color classes has treewidth at most 2. We also show that this bound is tight within a multiplicative factor of O((logd)^1/7). We also consider generalizations where we require simultaneously for several pairs (j_i, ?_i) (i = 1, …, l) that the union of any j_i color classes has no copy of any member of ?_i and obtain upper bounds on the corresponding chromatic numbers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 66: 213–234, 2011     

A Characterization of b‐Perfect Graphs

A b‐coloring is a coloring of the vertices of a graph such that each color class contains a vertex that has a neighbor in all other color classes, and the b‐chromatic number of a graph G is the largest integer k such that G admits a b‐coloring with k colors. A graph is b‐perfect if the b‐chromatic number is equal to the chromatic number for every induced subgraph of G. We prove that a graph is b‐perfect if and only if it does not contain as an induced subgraph a member of a certain list of 22 graphs. This entails the existence of a polynomial‐time recognition algorithm and of a polynomial‐time algorithm for coloring exactly the vertices of every b‐perfect graph. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 71:95–122, 2012     

Game-perfect graphs

A graph coloring game introduced by Bodlaender (Int J Found Comput Sci 2:133–147, 1991) as coloring construction game is the following. Two players, Alice and Bob, alternately color vertices of a given graph G with a color from a given color set C, so that adjacent vertices receive distinct colors. Alice has the first move. The game ends if no move is possible any more. Alice wins if every vertex of G is colored at the end, otherwise Bob wins. We consider two variants of Bodlaender’s graph coloring game: one (A) in which Alice has the right to have the first move and to miss a turn, the other (B) in which Bob has these rights. These games define the A-game chromatic number resp. the B-game chromatic number of a graph. For such a variant g, a graph G is g-perfect if, for every induced subgraph H of G, the clique number of H equals the g-game chromatic number of H. We determine those graphs for which the game chromatic numbers are 2 and prove that the triangle-free B-perfect graphs are exactly the forests of stars, and the triangle-free A-perfect graphs are exactly the graphs each component of which is a complete bipartite graph or a complete bipartite graph minus one edge or a singleton. From these results we may easily derive the set of triangle-free game-perfect graphs with respect to Bodlaender’s original game. We also determine the B-perfect graphs with clique number 3. As a general result we prove that complements of bipartite graphs are A-perfect.      

Perfect 2-colorings of a hypercube

A coloring of the vertices of a graph is called perfect if the multiset of colors of all neighbors of a vertex depends only on its own color. We study the possible parameters of perfect 2-colorings of the n-dimensional cube. Some necessary conditions are obtained for existence of such colorings. A new recursive construction of such colorings is found, which produces colorings for all known and infinitely many new parameter sets.     

Ramsey‐type results for Gallai colorings

A Gallai‐coloring of a complete graph is an edge coloring such that no triangle is colored with three distinct colors. Gallai‐colorings occur in various contexts such as the theory of partially ordered sets (in Gallai's original paper) or information theory. Gallai‐colorings extend 2‐colorings of the edges of complete graphs. They actually turn out to be close to 2‐colorings—without being trivial extensions. Here, we give a method to extend some results on 2‐colorings to Gallai‐colorings, among them known and new, easy and difficult results. The method works for Gallai‐extendible families that include, for example, double stars and graphs of diameter at most d for 2?d, or complete bipartite graphs. It follows that every Gallai‐colored K_n contains a monochromatic double star with at least 3n+ 1/4 vertices, a monochromatic complete bipartite graph on at least n/2 vertices, monochromatic subgraphs of diameter two with at least 3n/4 vertices, etc. The generalizations are not automatic though, for instance, a Gallai‐colored complete graph does not necessarily contain a monochromatic star on n/2 vertices. It turns out that the extension is possible for graph classes closed under a simple operation called equalization. We also investigate Ramsey numbers of graphs in Gallai‐colorings with a given number of colors. For any graph H let RG(r, H) be the minimum m such that in every Gallai‐coloring of K_m with r colors, there is a monochromatic copy of H. We show that for fixed H, RG (r, H) is exponential in r if H is not bipartite; linear in r if H is bipartite but not a star; constant (does not depend on r) if H is a star (and we determine its value). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 233–243, 2010     

A generalization of perfect graphs—i-perfect graphs

Let i be a positive integer. We generalize the chromatic number _X(G) of G and the clique number o(G) of G as follows: The i-chromatic number of G, denoted by _X(G), is the least number k for which G has a vertex partition V₁, V₂,…, V_k such that the clique number of the subgraph induced by each V_j, 1 ≤ j ≤ k, is at most i. The i-clique number, denoted by o_i(G), is the i-chromatic number of a largest clique in G, which equals [o(G/i]. Clearly _X1(G) = _X(G) and o₁(G) = o(G). An induced subgraph G′ of G is an i-transversal iff o(G′) = i and o(G − G′) = o(G) − i. We generalize the notion of perfect graphs as follows: (1) A graph G is i-perfect iff _Xi(H) = o_i(H) for every induced subgraph H of G. (2) A graph G is perfectly i-transversable iff either o(G) ≤ i or every induced subgraph H of G with o(H) > i contains an i-transversal of H. We study the relationships among i-perfect graphs and perfectly i-transversable graphs. In particular, we show that 1-perfect graphs and perfectly 1-transversable graphs both coincide with perfect graphs, and that perfectly i-transversable graphs form a strict subset of i-perfect graphs for every i ≥ 2. We also show that all planar graphs are i-perfect for every i ≥ 2 and perfectly i-transversable for every i ≥ 3; the latter implies a new proof that planar graphs satisfy the strong perfect graph conjecture. We prove that line graphs of all triangle-free graphs are 2-perfect. Furthermore, we prove for each i greater than or equal to2, that the recognition of i-perfect graphs and the recognition of perfectly i-transversable graphs are intractable and not likely to be in co-NP. We also discuss several issues related to the strong perfect graph conjecture. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On weight distributions of perfect colorings and completely regular codes

A vertex coloring of a graph is called “perfect” if for any two colors a and b, the number of the color-b neighbors of a color-a vertex x does not depend on the choice of x, that is, depends only on a and b (the corresponding partition of the vertex set is known as “equitable”). A set of vertices is called “completely regular” if the coloring according to the distance from this set is perfect. By the “weight distribution” of some coloring with respect to some set we mean the information about the number of vertices of every color at every distance from the set. We study the weight distribution of a perfect coloring (equitable partition) of a graph with respect to a completely regular set (in particular, with respect to a vertex if the graph is distance-regular). We show how to compute this distribution by the knowledge of the color composition over the set. For some partial cases of completely regular sets, we derive explicit formulas of weight distributions. Since any (other) completely regular set itself generates a perfect coloring, this gives universal formulas for calculating the weight distribution of any completely regular set from its parameters. In the case of Hamming graphs, we prove a very simple formula for the weight enumerator of an arbitrary perfect coloring.     

Almost all steinhaus graphs have diameter 2

A Steinhaus graph is a graph with n vertices whose adjacency matrix (a_{i, j}) satisfies the condition that a_{i, j} ? a_{a--1, j--1} + a _{i--1, j} (mod 2) for each 1 < i < j ≤ n. It is clear that a Steinhaus graph is determined by its first row. In [3] Bringham and Dutton conjecture that almost all Steinhaus graphs have diameter 2. That is, as n approaches infinity, the ratio of the number of Steinhaus graphs with n vertices having diameter 2 to the total number of Steinhaus graphs approaches 1. Here we prove Bringham and Dutton's conjecture.     

Set Partition Complexes

The Hom complexes were introduced by Lovász to study topological obstructions to graph colorings. The vertices of Hom(G,K _n ) are the n-colorings of the graph G, and a graph coloring is a partition of the vertex set into independent sets. Replacing the independence condition with any hereditary condition defines a set partition complex. We show how coloring questions arising from, for example, Ramsey theory can be formulated with set partition complexes. It was conjectured by Babson and Kozlov, and proved by Čukić and Kozlov, that Hom(G,K _n ) is (n−d−2)-connected, where d is the maximal degree of a vertex of G. We generalize this to set partition complexes.     

About equivalent interval colorings of weighted graphs

Given a graph G=(V,E) with strictly positive integer weights ω_i on the vertices iV, a k-interval coloring of G is a function I that assigns an interval I(i){1,…,k} of ω_i consecutive integers (called colors) to each vertex iV. If two adjacent vertices x and y have common colors, i.e. I(i)∩I(j)≠0/ for an edge [i,j] in G, then the edge [i,j] is said conflicting. A k-interval coloring without conflicting edges is said legal. The interval coloring problem (ICP) is to determine the smallest integer k, called interval chromatic number of G and denoted χ_int(G), such that there exists a legal k-interval coloring of G. For a fixed integer k, the k-interval graph coloring problem (k-ICP) is to determine a k-interval coloring of G with a minimum number of conflicting edges. The ICP and k-ICP generalize classical vertex coloring problems where a single color has to be assigned to each vertex (i.e., ω_i=1 for all vertices iV).Two k-interval colorings I₁ and I₂ are said equivalent if there is a permutation π of the integers 1,…,k such that ℓI₁(i) if and only if π(ℓ)I₂(i) for all vertices iV. As for classical vertex coloring, the efficiency of algorithms that solve the ICP or the k-ICP can be increased by avoiding considering equivalent k-interval colorings, assuming that they can be identified very quickly. To this purpose, we define and prove a necessary and sufficient condition for the equivalence of two k-interval colorings. We then show how a simple tabu search algorithm for the k-ICP can possibly be improved by forbidding the visit of equivalent solutions.     

Threshold characterization of graphs with dilworth number two

A graph with nodes 1, …, n is a threshold signed graph if one can find two positive real numbers S, T and real numbers a₁, …, a_n associated with the vertices in such a way that i, j are linked iff either |a_i + a_j| ≥ S or |a_i - a_j| ≥ T. Such graphs generalize threshold graphs. It is shown that these graphs are precisely the graphs with Dilworth number at most two (the Dilworth number is the maximum number of pairwise incomparable vertices in the vicinal preorder). Some other properties of this subclass of perfect graphs are also presented. The graphs considered in this paper are finite simple graphs G = (V, E), where V is the vertex set of G and E a subset of pairs of G. For x V, N(x) denotes the neighbor set of x: N(x) = {y | {x, y} E}.     

The Sigma Chromatic Number of a Graph

For a nontrivial connected graph G, let ${c: V(G)\to {{\mathbb N}}}For a nontrivial connected graph G, let c: V(G)? \mathbb N{c: V(G)\to {{\mathbb N}}} be a vertex coloring of G, where adjacent vertices may be colored the same. For a vertex v of G, let N(v) denote the set of vertices adjacent to v. The color sum σ(v) of v is the sum of the colors of the vertices in N(v). If σ(u) ≠ σ(v) for every two adjacent vertices u and v of G, then c is called a sigma coloring of G. The minimum number of colors required in a sigma coloring of a graph G is called its sigma chromatic number σ(G). The sigma chromatic number of a graph G never exceeds its chromatic number χ(G) and for every pair a, b of positive integers with a ≤ b, there exists a connected graph G with σ(G) = a and χ(G) = b. There is a connected graph G of order n with σ(G) = k for every pair k, n of positive integers with k ≤n if and only if k ≠ n − 1. Several other results concerning sigma chromatic numbers are presented.     

Bipartite anti‐Ramsey numbers of cycles

We determine the maximum number of colors in a coloring of the edges of K_m,n such that every cycle of length 2k contains at least two edges of the same color. One of our main tools is a result on generalized path covers in balanced bipartite graphs. For positive integers q≤ a, let g(a,q) be the maximum number of edges in a spanning subgraph G of K_a,a such that the minimum number of vertex‐disjoint even paths and pairs of vertices from distinct partite sets needed to cover V(G) is q. We prove that g(a,q) = a² ? aq + max {a, 2q ? 2}. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 47: 9–28, 2004     

Acrylic improper colorings of graphs

In this article, we introduce the new notion of acyclic improper colorings of graphs. An improper coloring of a graph is a vertex-coloring in which adjacent vertices are allowed to have the same color, but each color class V_i satisfies some condition depending on i. Such a coloring is acyclic if there are no alternating 2-colored cycles. We prove that every outerplanar graph can be acyclically 2-colored in such a way that each monochromatic subgraph has degree at most five and that this result is best possible. For planar graphs, we prove some negative results and state some open problems. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 32: 97–107, 1999     

The Hodge structure of the coloring complex of a hypergraph

Let G be a simple graph with n vertices. The coloring complex Δ(G) was defined by Steingrímsson, and the homology of Δ(G) was shown to be nonzero only in dimension n−3 by Jonsson. Hanlon recently showed that the Eulerian idempotents provide a decomposition of the homology group H_n−3(Δ(G)) where the dimension of the jth component in the decomposition, , equals the absolute value of the coefficient of λ^j in the chromatic polynomial of G, χ_G(λ).Let H be a hypergraph with n vertices. In this paper, we define the coloring complex of a hypergraph, Δ(H), and show that the coefficient of λ^j in χ_H(λ) gives the Euler Characteristic of the jth Hodge subcomplex of the Hodge decomposition of Δ(H). We also examine conditions on a hypergraph, H, for which its Hodge subcomplexes are Cohen–Macaulay, and thus where the absolute value of the coefficient of λ^j in χ_H(λ) equals the dimension of the jth Hodge piece of the Hodge decomposition of Δ(H). We also note that the Euler Characteristic of the jth Hodge subcomplex of the Hodge decomposition of the intersection of coloring complexes is given by the coefficient of jth term in the associated chromatic polynomial.     

Friendship Two-Graphs

A friendship graph is a graph in which every two distinct vertices have exactly one common neighbor. All finite friendship graphs are known, each of them consists of triangles having a common vertex. We extend friendship graphs to two-graphs, a two-graph being an ordered pair G = (G ₀, G ₁) of edge-disjoint graphs G ₀ and G ₁ on the same vertex-set V(G ₀) = V(G ₁). One may think that the edges of G are colored with colors 0 and 1. In a friendship two-graph, every unordered pair of distinct vertices u, v is connected by a unique bicolored 2-path. The pairs of adjacency matrices of friendship two-graphs are solutions to the matrix equation AB + BA = J − I, where A and B are n × n symmetric 0 − 1 matrices, J is an n × n matrix with every entry being 1, and I is the identity n × n matrix. We show that there is no finite friendship two-graph with minimum vertex degree at most two. However, we construct an infinite such graph, and this construction can be extended to an infinite (uncountable) family. Also, we find a finite friendship two-graph, conjecture that it is unique, and prove this conjecture for the two-graphs that have a dominating vertex.     

Least‐squares solutions of matrix inverse problem for bi‐symmetric matrices with a submatrix constraint

An n × n real matrix A = (a_ij)_{n × n} is called bi‐symmetric matrix if A is both symmetric and per‐symmetric, that is, a_ij = a_ji and a_ij = a_n+1?1,n+1?i (i, j = 1, 2,..., n). This paper is mainly concerned with finding the least‐squares bi‐symmetric solutions of matrix inverse problem AX = B with a submatrix constraint, where X and B are given matrices of suitable sizes. Moreover, in the corresponding solution set, the analytical expression of the optimal approximation solution to a given matrix A^* is derived. A direct method for finding the optimal approximation solution is described in detail, and three numerical examples are provided to show the validity of our algorithm. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.