Orientable and nonorientable genus of the complete bipartite graph

K_m,n is the complete bipartite graph with m and n vertices in its chromatic classes. G. Ringel has proved that the orientable genus of K_m,n is equal to $\text{{}\text{(m ? 2)(n ? 2)}\text{4}\text{}}\text{if}\text{m ≥ 2}\text{and}\text{n ≥ 2}$ and that its nonorientable genus is equal to $\text{{}\text{(m ? 2)(n ? 2)}\text{2}\text{}}\text{if}\text{m ≥ 3}\text{and}\text{n ≥ 3}$. We give new proofs of these results.     

Decomposition de Km+Kn en cycles hamiltoniens

Let K_m be the complete graph of order m. We prove that the cartesian sum K_m+K_n can be decomposed into $\text{1}\text{2}$(m+n?2) hamiltonian cycles if m+n is even and into $\text{1}\text{2}$(m+n?3) hamiltonian cycles and a perfect matching if m+n is odd.     

The interval number of a complete multipartite graph

The interval number of a graph G, denoted i(G), is the least positive integer t for which G is the intersection graph of a family of sets each of which is the union of at most t closed intervals of the real line $\text{R}$. Trotter and Harary showed that the interval number of the complete bipartite graph K(m,n) is $\text{?}\text{(mn + 1)}\text{(m + n)}\text{?}$. Matthews showed that the interval number of the complete multipartite graph K(n₁,n₂,…,n_p) was the same as the interval number of K(n₁,n₂) when n₁ = n₂ = ? = n_p. Trotter and Hopkins showed that i(K(n₁,n₂,…,n_p)) ≤ 1 + i(K(n₁,n₂)) whenever p ≥ 2 and n₁≥n₂≥ ? ≥n_p. West showed that for each n ≥ 3, there exists a constant c_n so that if p ≥ c_n,n₁ = n²?n ?1, and n₂ = n₃ = ? n_p = n, then i(K(n₁,n₂,…,n_p) = 1 + i(K(n₁, n₂)). In view of these results, it is natural to consider the problem of determining those pairs (n₁,n₂) with n₁ ≥ n₂ so that i(K(n₂,…,n_p)) = i(K(n₁,n₂)) whenever p ≥ 2 and n₂ ≥ n₃ ≥ ? ≥ n_p. In this paper, we present constructions utilizing Eulerian circuits in directed graphs to show that the only exceptional pairs are (n² ? n ? 1, n) for n ≥ 3 and (7,5).     

Chromatic equivalence classes of complete tripartite graphs

Some necessary conditions on a graph which has the same chromatic polynomial as the complete tripartite graph K_m,n,r are developed. Using these, we obtain the chromatic equivalence classes for K_m,n,n (where 1≤m≤n) and K_m1,m2,m3 (where |m_i−m_j|≤3). In particular, it is shown that (i) K_m,n,n (where 2≤m≤n) and (ii) K_m1,m2,m3 (where |m_i−m_j|≤3, 2≤m_i,i=1,2,3) are uniquely determined by their chromatic polynomials. The result (i), proved earlier by Liu et al. [R.Y. Liu, H.X. Zhao, C.Y. Ye, A complete solution to a conjecture on chromatic uniqueness of complete tripartite graphs, Discrete Math. 289 (2004) 175-179], answers a conjecture (raised in [G.L. Chia, B.H. Goh, K.M. Koh, The chromaticity of some families of complete tripartite graphs (In Honour of Prof. Roberto W. Frucht), Sci. Ser. A (1988) 27-37 (special issue)]) in the affirmative, while result (ii) extends a result of Zou [H.W. Zou, On the chromatic uniqueness of complete tripartite graphs K_n1,n2,n3 J. Systems Sci. Math. Sci. 20 (2000) 181-186].     

A generalization of the Kruskal-Katona theorem

Let k_n ? k_n?1 ? … ? k₁ be positive integers and let ($\text{i}\text{j}$) denote the coefficient of xⁱ in $\text{Π}\text{r=1}\text{j}\text{(1 + x + x}{}^2\text{+ … + x}{}^{\mathrm{kr}}\text{)}$. For given integers l, m, where 1 ? l ? k_n + k_n?1 + … + k₁ and $\text{1 ? m ? (}\text{n}\text{n}\text{)}$, it is shown that there exist unique integers m(l), m(l ? 1),…, m(t), satisfying certain conditions, for which $\text{m = (}\text{m(l)}\text{l}\text{+ (}\text{m(l?1)}\text{l?1}\text{) + … + (}\text{m(t)}\text{t}\text{)}$. Moreover, any m l-subsets of a multiset with k_i elements of type i, i = 1, 2,…, n, will contain at least $\text{(}\text{m(l)}\text{l?1}\text{) + (}\text{m(l?1)}\text{l?2}\text{) + … + (}\text{m(t)}\text{t?1}$ different (l ? 1)-subsets. This result has been anticipated by Greene and Kleitman, but the formulation there is not completely correct. If k₁ = 1, the numbers ($\text{j}\text{i}$) are binomial coefficients and the result is the Kruskal-Katona theorem.     

On the separation power and the completion of partial latin squares

Let n and m be natural numbers, n ? m. The separation power of order n and degree m is the largest integer k = k(n, m) such that for every (0, 1)-matrix A of order n with constant linesums equal to m and any set of k 1's in A there exist (disjoint) permutation matrices P₁,…, P_m such that A = P₁ + … + P_m and each of the k 1's lies in a different P_i. Almost immediately we have 1 ? k(n, m) ? m ? 1, yet in all cases where the value of k(n, m) is actually known it equals m ? 1 (except under the somewhat trivial circumstances of k(n, m) = 1). This leads to a conjecture about the separation power, namely that k(n, m) = m ? 1 if $\text{m ? [}\text{n}\text{2}\text{] + 1}$. We obtain the bound $\text{k(n, m) ? m ? [}\text{n}\text{2}\text{] + 2}$, so that this conjecture holds for n ? 7. We then move on to latin squares, describing several equivalent formulations of the concept. After establishing a sufficient condition for the completion of a partial latin square in terms of the separation power, we can show that the Evans conjecture follows from this conjecture about the separation power. Finally the lower bound on k(n, m) allows us to show, after some calculations, that the Evans conjecture is true for orders n ? 11.     

Pointwise convergence of eigenfunction expansions associated with ordinary differential operators

With an ordinary differential expression L = ∑ⁿ_k=0P_kD^k on an open interval I?$\text{r}$ is associated a selfadjoint operator H in a Hilbert space, possibly beyond $\text{K}$=L²(l). The set $\text{D}$H∩$\text{K}$ only depends on the generalized spectral family associated with H. It is shown that the (differentiated) eigenfunction expansion given by H converges uniformly on compact subintervals of l for functions in $\text{D}$(H)∩$\text{L}$ In case H is a semibounded selfadjoint operator in $\text{K}$=L²T, a similar result is proved for functions in $\text{D}$|H|, which is the set of all $\text{K}$∈$\text{K}$ for which there exists a sequence f_n∈(H) such that f_n→f in $\text{H}$ and (H(f_n ? f_m), f_n ? f_m → 0 as n, m → ∞.     

A bound for the number of tournaments with specified scores

Let $\text{T}$(R) denote the set of all tournaments with score vector R = (r₁, r₂,…, r_n). R. A. Brualdi and Li Qiao (“Proceedings of the Silver Jubilee Conference in Combinatorics at Waterloo,” in press) conjectured that if R is strong with r₁ ≤ r₂ ≤ … ≤ r_n, then |$\text{T}$(R)| ≥ 2^n?2 with equality if and only if R = (1, 1, 2,…, n ? 3, n ? 2, n ? 2). In this paper their conjecture is proved, and this result is used to establish a lower bound on the cardinality of $\text{T}$(R) for every R.     

Rectangular arrays

In this paper we studied m×n arrays with row sums $\text{nr}\text{(n,m)}$ and column sums $\text{mr}\text{(n,m)}$ where (n,m) denotes the greatest common divisor of m and n. We were able to show that the function H_m,n(r), which enumerates m×n arrays with row sums and column sums $\text{nr}\text{(m,n)}$ and $\text{mr}\text{(n,m)}$ respectively, is a polynomial in r of degree (m?1)(n?1). We found simple formulas to evaluate these polynomials for negative values, ?r, and we show that certain small negative integers are roots of these polynomials. When we considered the generating function G_m,n(y) = Σ_r?0H_m,n(r)y^r, it was found to be rational of degree less than zero. The denominator of G_m,n(y) is of the form (1?y)^(m?1)(n?1)+3, and the coefficients of the numerator are non-negative integers which enjoy a certain symmetric relation.     

The validity of the strong perfect-graph conjecture for (K4−e)-free graphs

Berge's strong perfect-graph conjecture states that a graph is perfect iff it has neither C_2n+1 nor $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{2n+1}}$, n ≥ 2 as an induced subgraph. In this note we establish the validity of this conjecture for (K₄?e)-free graphs.     

Partitions of large multipartites with congruence conditions. II

For 1 ≦ l ≦ j, let $\text{a}$_l = ?_h=1^q(l){a_lh + Mv: v = 0, 1, 2,…}, where j, M, q(l) and the a_lh are positive integers such that j > 1, a_l1 < … < a_lq(2) ≦ M, and let $\text{a}$_l^′ = $\text{a}$_l ∪ {0}. Let p(n : $\text{B}$) be the number of partitions of n = (n₁,…,n_j) where, for 1 ≦ l ≦ j, the lth component of each part belongs to $\text{B}$_l and let p¹(n : $\text{B}$) be the number of partitions of n into different parts where again the lth component of each part belongs to $\text{B}$_l. Asymptotic formulas are obtained for p(n : $\text{a}$), p¹(n : $\text{a}$) where all but one n_l tend to infinity much more rapidly than that n_l, and asymptotic formulas are also obtained for p(n : $\text{a}$′), p¹(n ; $\text{a}$′), where one n_l tends to infinity much more rapidly than every other n_l. These formulas contrast with those of a recent paper (Robertson and Spencer, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., to appear) in which all the n_l tend to infinity at approximately the same rate.     

On subgraph number independence in trees

For finite graphs F and G, let N_F(G) denote the number of occurrences of F in G, i.e., the number of subgraphs of G which are isomorphic to F. If $\text{F}$ and $\text{G}$ are families of graphs, it is natural to ask then whether or not the quantities N_F(G), F∈$\text{F}$, are linearly independent when G is restricted to $\text{G}$. For example, if $\text{F}$ = {K₁, K₂} (where K_n denotes the complete graph on n vertices) and $\text{F}$ is the family of all (finite) trees, then of course N_K1(T) ? N_K2(T) = 1 for all T∈$\text{F}$. Slightly less trivially, if $\text{F}$ = {S_n: n = 1, 2, 3,…} (where S_n denotes the star on n edges) and $\text{G}$ again is the family of all trees, then Σ_n=1^∞(?1)ⁿ⁺¹N_Sn(T)=1 for all T∈$\text{G}$. It is proved that such a linear dependence can never occur if $\text{F}$ is finite, no F∈$\text{F}$ has an isolated point, and $\text{G}$ contains all trees. This result has important applications in recent work of L. Lovász and one of the authors (Graham and Lovász, to appear).     

On regular graphs and Hamiltonian circuits,including answers to some questions of Joseph Zaks

A graph is called l-ply Hamiltonian if it admits l edge-disjoint Hamiltonian circuits. The following results are obtained: (1) When n ≥ 3 and 0 ≤ 2l ≤ n there exists an n-connected n-regular graph that is exactly l-ply Hamiltonian. (2) There exist 5-connected 5-regular planar graphs that are not doubly (i.e. 2-ply) Hamiltonian, one with only 132 vertices and another with only three types of face, namely 3-, 4- and 12-gons. (3) There exist 3-connected 5-regular planar graphs, one that is non-Hamiltonian and has only 76 vertices and another that has no Hamiltonian paths and has only 128 vertices. (4) There exist 5-edge-connected 5-regular planar graphs, one that is non-Hamiltonian and has only 176 vertices and another that has no Hamiltonian paths and has only 512 vertices. Result (1) was known in the special cases $\text{l = [}\text{n}\text{2}\text{]}$ (an old result) and l = 0 (due to G. H. J. Meredith, 1973). The special case l = 1 provides a negative answer to question 4 in a recent paper by Joseph Zaks and implies Corollary 1 to Zaks' Theorem 1. Results (2) and (3) involve graphs with considerably fewer vertices (and, in one case, fewer types of face) than Zaks' corresponding graphs and provide partial answers to his questions 1 and 3. Result (4) involves graphs that satisfy a stronger condition than those of Zaks but still have fewer vertices.     

Forbidding just one intersection

Following a conjecture of P. Erdös, we show that if $\text{F}$ is a family of k-subsets of and n-set no two of which intersect in exactly l elements then for k ? 2l + 2 and n sufficiently large |$\text{F}$| ? (_{k ? l ? 1}^{n ? l ? 1}) with equality holding if and only if $\text{F}$ consists of all the k-sets containing a fixed (l + 1)-set. In general we show |$\text{F}$| ? d_kn^{max;{;l,k ? l ? 1};}, where d_k is a constant depending only on k. These results are special cases of more general theorems (Theorem 2.1–2.3).     

Some tree-star Ramsey Numbers

The Ramsey Number r(G₁, G₂) is the least integer N such that for every graph G with N vertices, either G has the graph G₁ as a subgraph or $\text{G}$, the complement of G, has the graph G₂ as a subgraph.In this paper we embed the paths P_m in a much larger class $\text{T}$ of trees and then show how some evaluations by T. D. Parsons of Ramsey numbers r(P_m, K_1,n), where K_1,n is the star of degree n, are also valid for r(T_m, K_1,n) where T_m ∈ $\text{T}$.     

The nonorientable genus of the symmetric quadripartite graph

The nonorientable genus of K_4(n) is shown to satisfy:

$\text{γ}\text{(K}{}_{\mathrm{4(n)}}\text{)=2(n?1)}{}^2\text{for n ? 3}$

,

$\text{γ}\text{(K}{}_{\mathrm{4(2)}}\text{)=3,}\text{γ}\text{(K}{}_4\text{(1))=1}$

.     

Prime interchange graphs of classes of matrices of zeros and ones

Let R = (r₁,…, r_m) and S = (s₁,…, s_n) be nonnegative integral vectors, and let $\text{U}$(R, S) denote the class of all m × n matrices of 0's and 1's having row sum vector R and column sum vector S. An invariant position of $\text{U}$(R, S) is a position whose entry is the same for all matrices in $\text{U}$(R, S). The interchange graph G(R, S) is the graph where the vertices are the matrices in $\text{U}$(R, S) and where two matrices are joined by an edge provided they differ by an interchange. We prove that when 1 ≤ r_i ≤ n ? 1 (i = 1,…, m) and 1 ≤ s_j ≤ m ? 1 (j = 1,…, n), G(R, S) is prime if and only if $\text{U}$(R, S) has no invariant positions.