Minimal claw-free graphs

A graph G is a minimal claw-free graph (m.c.f. graph) if it contains no K _1,3 (claw) as an induced subgraph and if, for each edge e of G, G ™ e contains an induced claw. We investigate properties of m.c.f. graphs, establish sharp bounds on their orders and the degrees of their vertices, and characterize graphs which have m.c.f. line graphs. Support by the South African National Research Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.     

Clique-transversal sets in 4-regular claw-free graphs

A clique-transversal set D of a graph G is a set of vertices of G such that D meets all cliques of G. The clique-transversal number, denoted by τ _c (G), is the minimum cardinality of a clique-transversal set in G. In this paper we give the exact value of the clique-transversal number for the line graph of a complete graph. Also, we give a lower bound on the clique-transversal number for 4-regular claw-free graphs and characterize the extremal graphs achieving the lower bound.     

Induced subgraphs with large degrees at end-vertices for hamiltonicity of claw-free graphs

A graph is called claw-free if it contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to K1,3. Matthews and Sumner proved that a 2-connected claw-free graph G is Hamiltonian if every vertex of it has degree at least (|V(G)|-2)/3. At the workshop C&C (Novy Smokovec, 1993), Broersma conjectured the degree condition of this result can be restricted only to end-vertices of induced copies of N (the graph obtained from a triangle by adding three disjoint pendant edges). Fujisawa and Yamashita showed that the degree condition of Matthews and Sumner can be restricted only to end-vertices of induced copies of Z₁ (the graph obtained from a triangle by adding one pendant edge). Our main result in this paper is a characterization of all graphs H such that a 2-connected claw-free graph G is Hamiltonian if each end-vertex of every induced copy of H in G has degree at least |V(G)|/3+1. This gives an affirmative solution of the conjecture of Broersma up to an additive constant.     

无爪图上团横贯数的界

设 G=(V,E) 为简单图,图 G 的每个至少有两个顶点的极大完全子图称为 G 的一个团. 一个顶点子集 S\subseteq V 称为图 G 的团横贯集, 如果 S 与 G 的所有团都相交,即对于 G 的任意的团 C 有 S\cap{V(C)}\neq\emptyset. 图 G 的团横贯数是图 G 的最小团横贯集所含顶点的数目,记为~${\large\tau}_{C}(G)$. 证明了棱柱图的补图(除5-圈外)、非奇圈的圆弧区间图和 Hex-连接图这三类无爪图的团横贯数不超过其阶数的一半.     

Every 4-connected line graph of a quasi claw-free graph is hamiltonian connected

Let G be a graph. For u,vV(G) with dist_G(u,v)=2, denote J_G(u,v)={wN_G(u)∩N_G(v)|N_G(w)N_G(u)N_G(v){u,v}}. A graph G is called quasi claw-free if J_G(u,v)≠ for any u,vV(G) with dist_G(u,v)=2. In 1986, Thomassen conjectured that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian. In this paper we show that every 4-connected line graph of a quasi claw-free graph is hamiltonian connected.     

On hamiltonicity of 2-connected claw-free graphs

A graph G has the hourglass property if every induced hourglass S (a tree with a degree sequence 22224) contains two non-adjacent vertices which have a common neighbor in G - V(S).For an integer k ≥ 4,...     

Closure, 2-factors,and cycle coverings in claw-free graphs

In this article, we study cycle coverings and 2-factors of a claw-free graph and those of its closure, which has been defined by the first author (On a closure concept in claw-free graphs, J Combin Theory Ser B 70 (1997), 217–224). For a claw-free graph G and its closure cl(G), we prove: (1) V(G) is covered by k cycles in G if and only if V(cl(G)) is covered by k cycles of cl(G); and (2) G has a 2-factor with at most k components if and only if cl(G) has a 2-factor with at most k components. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 32: 109–117, 1999     

Hamiltonian properties of locally connected graphs with bounded vertex degree

We consider the existence of Hamiltonian cycles for the locally connected graphs with a bounded vertex degree. For a graph G, let Δ(G) and δ(G) denote the maximum and minimum vertex degrees, respectively. We explicitly describe all connected, locally connected graphs with Δ(G)?4. We show that every connected, locally connected graph with Δ(G)=5 and δ(G)?3 is fully cycle extendable which extends the results of Kikust [P.B. Kikust, The existence of the Hamiltonian circuit in a regular graph of degree 5, Latvian Math. Annual 16 (1975) 33-38] and Hendry [G.R.T. Hendry, A strengthening of Kikust’s theorem, J. Graph Theory 13 (1989) 257-260] on full cycle extendability of the connected, locally connected graphs with the maximum vertex degree bounded by 5. Furthermore, we prove that problem Hamilton Cycle for the locally connected graphs with Δ(G)?7 is NP-complete.     

NEIGHBORHOOD UNION OF INDEPENDENT SETS AND HAMILTONICITY OF CLAW-FREE GRAPHS

Let G be a graph,for any u∈V(G),let N(u) denote the neighborhood of u and d(u)=|N(u)| be the degree of u. For any U V(G) ,let N(U)=Uu,∈UN(u), and d(U)=|N(U)|.A graph G is called claw-free if it has no induced subgraph isomorphic to K1.3. One of the fundamental results concerning cycles in claw-free graphs is due to Tian Feng,et al. : Let G be a 2-connected claw-free graph of order n,and d(u) d(v) d(w)≥n-2 for every independent vertex set {u,v,w} of G, then G is Hamiltonian. It is proved that, for any three positive integers s ,t and w,such that if G is a (s t w-1)connected claw-free graph of order n,and d(S) d(T) d(W)＞n-(s t w) for every three disjoint independent vertex sets S,T,W with |S |=s, |T|=t, |W|=w,and S∪T∪W is also independent ,then G is Hamiltonian. Other related results are obtained too.     

Vertex pancyclicity in quasi claw-free graphs

This paper generalizes the concept of locally connected graphs. A graph G is triangularly connected if for every pair of edges e₁,e₂∈E(G), G has a sequence of 3-cycles C₁,C₂,…,C_l such that e₁∈C₁,e₂∈C_l and E(C_i)∩E(C_i+1)≠∅ for 1?i?l-1. In this paper, we show that every triangularly connected quasi claw-free graph on at least three vertices is vertex pancyclic. Therefore, the conjecture proposed by Ainouche is solved.     

Edge clique cover of claw-free graphs

The smallest number of cliques, covering all edges of a graph , is called the (edge) clique cover number of and is denoted by . It is an easy observation that if is a line graph on vertices, then . G. Chen et al. [Discrete Math. 219 (2000), no. 1–3, 17–26; MR1761707] extended this observation to all quasi-line graphs and questioned if the same assertion holds for all claw-free graphs. In this paper, using the celebrated structure theorem of claw-free graphs due to Chudnovsky and Seymour, we give an affirmative answer to this question for all claw-free graphs with independence number at least three. In particular, we prove that if is a connected claw-free graph on vertices with three pairwise nonadjacent vertices, then and the equality holds if and only if is either the graph of icosahedron, or the complement of a graph on vertices called “twister” or the power of the cycle , for some positive integer .     

Equimatchable claw-free graphs

A graph is equimatchable if all of its maximal matchings have the same size. A graph is claw-free if it does not have a claw as an induced subgraph. In this paper, we provide the first characterization of claw-free equimatchable graphs by identifying the equimatchable claw-free graph families. This characterization implies an efficient recognition algorithm.     

Unavoidable doubly connected large graphs

A connected graph is doubly connected if its complement is also connected. The following Ramsey-type theorem is proved in this paper. There exists a function h(n), defined on the set of integers exceeding three, such that every doubly connected graph on at least h(n) vertices must contain, as an induced subgraph, a doubly connected graph, which is either one of the following graphs or the complement of one of the following graphs:

(1) P_n, a path on n vertices;

(2) K_1,n^s, the graph obtained from K_1,n by subdividing an edge once;

(3) K_2,ne, the graph obtained from K_2,n by deleting an edge;

(4) K_2,n⁺, the graph obtained from K_2,n by adding an edge between the two degree-n vertices x₁ and x₂, and a pendent edge at each x_i.

Two applications of this result are also discussed in the paper.     

Circumference of 3-connected claw-free graphs and large Eulerian subgraphs of 3-edge-connected graphs

The circumference of a graph is the length of its longest cycles. Results of Jackson, and Jackson and Wormald, imply that the circumference of a 3-connected cubic n-vertex graph is Ω(n^0.694), and the circumference of a 3-connected claw-free graph is Ω(n^0.121). We generalize and improve the first result by showing that every 3-edge-connected graph with m edges has an Eulerian subgraph with Ω(m^0.753) edges. We use this result together with the Ryjá?ek closure operation to improve the lower bound on the circumference of a 3-connected claw-free graph to Ω(n^0.753). Our proofs imply polynomial time algorithms for finding large Eulerian subgraphs of 3-edge-connected graphs and long cycles in 3-connected claw-free graphs.     

无爪图中不相邻子图P_4和K_1的度和条件下的哈密尔顿性

研究子图的度和图的哈密尔顿性的关系,证明图~$G$ 是一个~$n$ 阶~3-\,连通无爪图且最小度~$\delta(G)\geq4$, 如果图~$G$ 中任意两个分别同构于~$P_4$, $K_1$ 的不相邻子图~$H_1$, $H_2$ 满足~$d(H_1)+d(H_2)\geq n$, 则图~$G$ 是哈密尔顿连通.     

Subdivisions of large complete bipartite graphs and long induced paths in k‐connected graphs

It is proved that for every positive integers k, r and s there exists an integer n = n(k,r,s) such that every k‐connected graph of order at least n contains either an induced path of length s or a subdivision of the complete bipartite graph K_k,r. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 45: 270–274, 2004     

On stable cutsets in claw-free graphs and planar graphs

A stable cutset in a connected graph is a stable set whose deletion disconnects the graph. Let $K_4$ and $K_{1,3}$ (claw) denote the complete (bipartite) graph on 4 and $1+3$ vertices. It is NP-complete to decide whether a line graph (hence a claw-free graph) with maximum degree five or a $K_4$-free graph admits a stable cutset. Here we describe algorithms deciding in polynomial time whether a claw-free graph with maximum degree at most four or whether a (claw, $K_4$)-free graph admits a stable cutset. As a by-product we obtain that the stable cutset problem is polynomially solvable for claw-free planar graphs, and also for planar line graphs.Thus, the computational complexity of the stable cutset problem is completely determined for claw-free graphs with respect to degree constraint, and for claw-free planar graphs. Moreover, we prove that the stable cutset problem remains NP-complete for $K_4$-free planar graphs with maximum degree five.     

Locally connected spanning trees in strongly chordal graphs and proper circular-arc graphs

A locally connected spanning tree of a graph G is a spanning tree T of G such that the set of all neighbors of v in T induces a connected subgraph of G for every v∈V(G). The purpose of this paper is to give linear-time algorithms for finding locally connected spanning trees on strongly chordal graphs and proper circular-arc graphs, respectively.     

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].