New constructions of hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

A graph G is hypohamiltonian/hypotraceable if it is not hamiltonian/traceable, but all vertex‐deleted subgraphs of G are hamiltonian/traceable. All known hypotraceable graphs are constructed using hypohamiltonian graphs; here we present a construction that uses so‐called almost hypohamiltonian graphs (nonhamiltonian graphs, whose vertex‐deleted subgraphs are hamiltonian with exactly one exception, see [15]). This construction is an extension of a method of Thomassen [11]. As an application, we construct a planar hypotraceable graph of order 138, improving the best‐known bound of 154 [8]. We also prove a structural type theorem showing that hypotraceable graphs possessing some connectivity properties are all built using either Thomassen's or our method. We also prove that if G is a Grinbergian graph without a triangular region, then G is not maximal nonhamiltonian and using the proof method we construct a hypohamiltonian graph of order 36 with crossing number 1, improving the best‐known bound of 46 [14].     

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.     

Cubic vertices in planar hypohamiltonian graphs

Thomassen showed in 1978 that every planar hypohamiltonian graph contains a cubic vertex. Equivalently, a planar graph with minimum degree at least 4 in which every vertex-deleted subgraph is hamiltonian, must be itself hamiltonian. By applying work of Brinkmann and the author, we extend this result in three directions. We prove that (i) every planar hypohamiltonian graph contains at least four cubic vertices, (ii) every planar almost hypohamiltonian graph contains a cubic vertex, which is not the exceptional vertex (solving a problem of the author raised in J. Graph Theory [79 (2015) 63–81]), and (iii) every hypohamiltonian graph with crossing number 1 contains a cubic vertex. Furthermore, we settle a recent question of Thomassen by proving that asymptotically the ratio of the minimum number of cubic vertices to the order of a planar hypohamiltonian graph vanishes.     

On Hypohamiltonian and Almost Hypohamiltonian Graphs

A graph G is almost hypohamiltonian if G is non‐hamiltonian, there exists a vertex w such that is non‐hamiltonian, and for any vertex the graph is hamiltonian. We prove the existence of an almost hypohamiltonian graph with 17 vertices and of a planar such graph with 39 vertices. Moreover, we find a 4‐connected almost hypohamiltonian graph, while Thomassen's question whether 4‐connected hypohamiltonian graphs exist remains open. We construct planar almost hypohamiltonian graphs of order n for every . During our investigation we draw connections between hypotraceable, hypohamiltonian, and almost hypohamiltonian graphs, and discuss a natural extension of almost hypohamiltonicity. Finally, we give a short argument disproving a conjecture of Chvátal (originally disproved by Thomassen), strengthen a result of Araya and Wiener on cubic planar hypohamiltonian graphs, and mention open problems.     

Infinitely many planar cubic hypohamiltonian graphs of girth 5

A graph G is hypohamiltonian if G is non‐hamiltonian and for every vertex v in G, the graph is hamiltonian. McKay asked in [J. Graph Theory 85 (2017) 7–11] whether infinitely many planar cubic hypohamiltonian graphs of girth 5 exist. We settle this question affirmatively.     

Hamiltonicity in vertex envelopes of plane cubic graphs

In this paper we study a graph operation which produces what we call the “vertex envelope” G^∗_V from a graph G. We apply it to plane cubic graphs and investigate the hamiltonicity of the resulting graphs, which are also cubic. To this end, we prove a result giving a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of hamiltonian cycles in the vertex envelopes of plane cubic graphs. We then use these conditions to identify graphs or classes of graphs whose vertex envelopes are either all hamiltonian or all non-hamiltonian, paying special attention to bipartite graphs. We also show that deciding if a vertex envelope is hamiltonian is NP-complete, and we provide a polynomial algorithm for deciding if a given cubic plane graph is a vertex envelope.     

New families of hypohamiltonian graphs

We construct three new infinite families of hypohamiltonian graphs having respectively 3k+1 vertices (k?3), 3k vertices (k?5) and 5k vertices (k?4); in particular, we exhibit a hypohamiltonian graph of order 19 and a cubic hypohamiltonian graph of order 20, the existence of which was still in doubt. Using these families, we get a lower bound for the number of non-isomorphic hypohamiltonian graphs of order 3k and 5k. We also give an example of an infinite graph G having no two-way infinite hamiltonian path, but in which every vertex-deleted subgraph G - x has such a path.     

Hamiltonian cycles through prescribed edges of 4-connected maximal planar graphs

In 1956, W.T. Tutte proved that every 4-connected planar graph is hamiltonian. Moreover, in 1997, D.P. Sanders extended this to the result that a 4-connected planar graph contains a hamiltonian cycle through any two of its edges. It is shown that Sanders’ result is best possible by constructing 4-connected maximal planar graphs with three edges a large distance apart such that any hamiltonian cycle misses one of them. If the maximal planar graph is 5-connected then such a construction is impossible.     

Infinitely Many Hypohamiltonian Cubic Graphs of Girth 7

The trivalent Coxeter graph of order 28 is the only known hypohamiltonian cubic graph of girth 7. In this paper we will construct an infinite family of hypohamiltonian cubic graphs of girth 7 and cyclic connectivity 6. The existence of cyclically 7-edge-connected hypohamiltonian cubic graphs other than the Coxeter graph, however, remains open.     

Planar and infinite hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable graphs

Chvátal raised the question whether or not planar hypohamiltonian graphs exist and Grünbaum conjectured the nonexistence of such graphs. We shall describe an infinite class of planar hypohamiltonian graphs and infinite classes of planar hypotraceable graphs of connectivity two (resp. three). Infinite hypohamiltonian (resp. htpotraceable) graphs are also described. It is shown how the study of infinite hypotraceable graphs leads to a new infinite family of finite hypotraceable graphs.     

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.     

Highly-connected planar cubic graphs with few or many Hamilton cycles

In this paper we consider the number of Hamilton cycles in planar cubic graphs of high cyclic edge-connectivity, answering two questions raised by Chia and Thomassen (2012) about extremal graphs in these families. In particular, we find families of cyclically 5-edge-connected planar cubic graphs with more Hamilton cycles than the generalized Petersen graphs $P(2n,2)$. The graphs themselves are fullerene graphs that correspond to certain carbon molecules known as nanotubes—more precisely, the family consists of the zigzag nanotubes of (fixed) width 5and increasing length. In order to count the Hamilton cycles in the nanotubes, we develop methods inspired by the transfer matrices of statistical physics. We outline how these methods can be adapted to count the Hamilton cycles in nanotubes of greater (but still fixed) width, with the caveat that the resulting expressions involve matrix powers. We also consider cyclically 4-edge-connected planar cubic graphs with few Hamilton cycles, and exhibit an infinite family of such graphs each with exactly 4 Hamilton cycles. Finally we consider the “other extreme” for these two classes of graphs, thus investigating cyclically 4-edge-connected planar cubic graphs with many Hamilton cycles and the cyclically 5-edge-connected planar cubic graphs with few Hamilton cycles. In each of these cases, we present partial results, examples and conjectures regarding the graphs with few or many Hamilton cycles.     

P3-支配图哈密尔顿性的两个充分条件

在文献[3]中介绍了一个新的图类-P3-支配图.这个图类包含所有的拟无爪图,因此也包含所有的无爪图.在本文中,我们证明了每一个点数至少是3的三角形连通的P3-支配图是哈密尔顿的,但有一个例外图K1,1,3.同时,我们也证明了k-连通的(k≥2)的P3-支配图是哈密尔顿的,如果an(G)≤k,但有两个例外图K1,1,3 and K2,3.     

A note on the smallest connected non-traceable cubic bipartite planar graph

A graph is traceable if it contains a Hamiltonian path. We present a connected non-traceable cubic bipartite planar graph with 52 vertices and prove that there are no smaller such graphs.     

An Infinite Family of Planar Hypohamiltonian Oriented Graphs

Carsten Thomassen asked in 1976 whether there exists a planar hypohamiltonian oriented graph. We answer his question by presenting an infinite family of planar hypohamiltonian oriented graphs, the smallest of which has order 9. A computer search showed that 9 is the smallest possible order of a hypohamiltonian oriented graph.     

Infinite families of 2-hypohamiltonian/2-hypotraceable oriented graphs

A digraph D of order n is r-hypohamiltonian (respectively r-hypotraceable) for some positive integer r < n ? 1 if D is nonhamiltonian (nontraceable) and the deletion of any r of its vertices leaves a hamiltonian (traceable) digraph. A 1-hypohamiltonian (1-traceable) digraph is simply called hypohamiltonian (hypotraceable). Although hypohamiltonian and hypotraceable digraphs are well-known and well-studied concepts, we have found no mention of r-hypohamiltonian or r-hypotraceable digraphs in the literature for any r > 1. In this paper we present infinitely many 2-hypohamiltonian oriented graphs and use these to construct infinitely many 2-hypotraceable oriented graphs. We also discuss an interesting connection between the existence of r-hypotraceable oriented graphs and the Path Partition Conjecture for oriented graphs.     

On hypohamiltonian graphs

Herz, Duby and Vigué [9] conjectured that every hypohamiltonian graph has girth 5. In the present note hypohamiltonian graphs of girth 3 and 4 are described. Also two conjectures on hypohamiltonian graphs made by Bondy and Chvátal, respectively, are disproved.     

三度边正则图的三个无限族

图X称为边正则图，若X的自同构群Aut(X)在X的边集上的作用是正则的．本文考察了三度边正则图与四度Cayley图的关系，给出了一个由四度Cayley图构造三度边正则图的方法，并且构造了边正则图的三个无限族．     

Circuit double covers in special types of cubic graphs

Suppose that a 2-connected cubic graph G of order n has a circuit C of length at least n−4 such that G−V(C) is connected. We show that G has a circuit double cover containing a prescribed set of circuits which satisfy certain conditions. It follows that hypohamiltonian cubic graphs (i.e., non-hamiltonian cubic graphs G such that G−v is hamiltonian for every v∈V(G)) have strong circuit double covers.     

Regular path decompositions of odd regular graphs

Kotzig asked in 1979 what are necessary and sufficient conditions for a d‐regular simple graph to admit a decomposition into paths of length d for odd d>3. For cubic graphs, the existence of a 1‐factor is both necessary and sufficient. Even more, each 1‐factor is extendable to a decomposition of the graph into paths of length 3 where the middle edges of the paths coincide with the 1‐factor. We conjecture that existence of a 1‐factor is indeed a sufficient condition for Kotzig's problem. For general odd regular graphs, most 1‐factors appear to be extendable and we show that for the family of simple 5‐regular graphs with no cycles of length 4, all 1‐factors are extendable. However, for d>3 we found infinite families of d‐regular simple graphs with non‐extendable 1‐factors. Few authors have studied the decompositions of general regular graphs. We present examples and open problems; in particular, we conjecture that in planar 5‐regular graphs all 1‐factors are extendable. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 63: 114–128, 2010