The combinatorial properties of the Benoumhani polynomials for the Whitney numbers of Dowling lattices

In the papers (Benoumhani 1996;1997), Benoumhani defined two polynomials $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)$ and $F_{m,n,2}\left(x\right)$. Then, he defined $A_m(n,k)$ and $B_m(n,k)$ to be the polynomials satisfying $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)={\sum }_{k=0}^n{A}_m(n,k)x^{n?k}{(x+1)}^k$ and $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)={\sum }_{k=0}^n{B}_m(n,k)x^{n?k}{(x+1)}^k$. In this paper, we give a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of $A_{m+1}(n,k)$ and prove a symmetry of the coefficients, i.e., $\left[m^s\right]A_{m+1}(n,k)=\left[m^{n?s}\right]A_{m+1}(n,n?k)$. We give a combinatorial interpretation of $B_{m+1}(n,k)$ and prove that $B_{m+1}(n,n?1)$ is a polynomial in $m$ with non-negative integer coefficients. We also prove that if $n\ge 6$ then all coefficients of $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ except the coefficient of $m^{n?1}$ are non-negative integers. For all $n$, the coefficient of $m^{n?1}$ in $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ is $?(n?1)$, and when $n\le 5$ some other coefficients of $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ are also negative.     

Permutations with small maximal k-consecutive sums

Let $n$ and $k$ be positive integers with $n>k$. Given a permutation $({\pi }_1,\dots ,{\pi }_n)$ of integers $1,\dots ,n$, we consider $k$-consecutive sums of $\pi$, i.e., $s_i?{\sum }_{j=0}^{k?1}{\pi }_{i+j}$ for $i=1,\dots ,n$, where we let ${\pi }_{n+j}={\pi }_j$. What we want to do in this paper is to know the exact value of $\mathsf{msum}(n,k)?min\left\{max\{s_i:i=1,\dots ,n\}?\frac{k(n+1)}{2}:\pi \in S_n\right\},$ where $S_n$ denotes the set of all permutations of $1,\dots ,n$. In this paper, we determine the exact values of $\mathsf{msum}(n,k)$ for some particular cases of $n$ and $k$. As a corollary of the results, we obtain $\mathsf{msum}(n,3)$, $\mathsf{msum}(n,4)$ and $\mathsf{msum}(n,6)$ for any $n$.     

A combinatorial proof of a formula for the Lucas-Narayana polynomials

In 2020, Bennett, Carrillo, Machacek and Sagan gave a polynomial generalization of the Narayana numbers and conjectured that these polynomials have positive integer coefficients for $1\le k\le n$ and for $n\ge 1$. In 2020, Sagan and Tirrell used a powerful algebraic method to prove this conjecture (in fact, they extend and prove the conjecture for more than just the type A case). In this paper we give a combinatorial proof of a formula satisfied by the Lucas-Narayana polynomials described by Bennett et al. This gives a combinatorial proof that these polynomials have positive integer coefficients. A corollary of our main result establishes a parallel theorem for the FiboNarayana numbers $N_{n,k,F}$, providing a combinatorial proof of the conjecture that these are positive integers for $n\ge 1$.     

On three color Ramsey numbers R(C4,C4,K1,n)

For $k$ given graphs $G_1,G_2,\dots ,G_k$, $k\ge 2$, the $k$-color Ramsey number, denoted by $R(G_1,G_2,\dots ,G_k)$, is the smallest integer $N$ such that if we arbitrarily color the edges of a complete graph of order $N$ with $k$ colors, then it always contains a monochromatic copy of $G_i$ colored with $i$, for some $1\le i\le k$. Let $C_m$ be a cycle of length $m$ and $K_{1,n}$ a star of order $n+1$. In this paper, firstly we give a general upper bound of $R(C_4,C_4,\dots ,C_4,K_{1,n})$. In particular, for the 3-color case, we have $R(C_4,C_4,K_{1,n})\le n+?\sqrt{4n+5}?+3$ and this bound is tight in some sense. Furthermore, we prove that $R(C_4,C_4,K_{1,n})\le n+?\sqrt{4n+5}?+2$ for all $n={?}^2??$ and $?\ge 2$, and if $?$ is a prime power, then the equality holds.     

A C5-decomposition of the λ-fold line graph of the complete graph

In 1996, Cox and Rodger [Cycle systems of the line graph of the complete graph, J. Graph Theory 21 (1996) 173–182] raised the following question: For what values of $m$ and $n$ does there exist an $m$-cycle decomposition of $L\left(K_n\right)?$ In this paper, the above question is answered for $m=5.$ In fact, it is shown that $L\left(K_n\right)\left(\lambda \right),$ the $\lambda$-fold line graph of the complete graph $K_n,$ has a $C_5$-decomposition if and only if $5\mid \lambda \left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n}{2}\right)(n?2)$ and $n\ge 4.$     

Rainbow spanning tree decompositions in complete graphs colored by cyclic 1-factorizations

Brualdi and Hollingsworth conjectured in Brualdi and Hollingsworth (1996) that in any complete graph $K_{2n}$, $n\ge 3$, which is properly colored with $2n?1$ colors, the edge set can be partitioned into $n$ edge disjoint rainbow spanning trees (where a graph is said to be rainbow if its edges have distinct colors). Constantine (2002) strengthened this conjecture asking the rainbow spanning trees to be pairwise isomorphic. He also showed an example satisfying his conjecture for every $2n\in \{2^s:s\ge 3\}\cup \{5?2^s,s\ge 1\}$ . Caughmann, Krussel and Mahoney (2017) recently showed a first infinite family of edge colorings for which the conjecture of Brualdi and Hollingsworth can be verified. In the present paper, we extend this result to all edge-colorings arising from cyclic 1-factorizations of $K_{2n}$ constructed by Hartman and Rosa (1985). Finally, we remark that our constructions permit to extend Constatine’s result also to all $2n\in \{2^{s}d:s\ge 1,d>3\text{odd}\}$.     

New upper bound for multicolor Ramsey number of odd cycles

Let $r_k\left(C_{2m+1}\right)$ be the $k$-color Ramsey number of an odd cycle $C_{2m+1}$ of length $2m+1$. It is shown that for each fixed $m\ge 2$, $r_k\left(C_{2m+1}\right)<c^k\sqrt{k!}$for all sufficiently large $k$, where $c=c\left(m\right)>0$ is a constant. This improves an old result by Bondy and Erd?s (1973).     

SL(m,C)-equivariant and translation covariant continuous tensor valuations

The space of continuous, $\mathrm{SL}(m,\mathbb{C})$-equivariant, $m\ge 2$, and translation covariant valuations taking values in the space of real symmetric tensors on ${\mathbb{C}}^m?{\mathbb{R}}^{2m}$ of rank $r\ge 0$ is completely described. The classification involves the moment tensor valuation for $r\ge 1$ and is analogous to the known classification of the corresponding tensor valuations that are $\mathrm{SL}(2m,\mathbb{R})$-equivariant, although the method of proof cannot be adapted.     

Separable discrete functions: Recognition and sufficient conditions

A discrete function of $n$ variables is a mapping $g:X_1\times \dots \times X_n\to A$, where $X_1,\dots ,X_n$, and $A$ are arbitrary finite sets. Function $g$ is called separable if there exist $n$ functions $g_i:X_i\to A$ for $i=1,\dots ,n$, such that for every input $x_1,\dots ,x_n$ the function $g(x_1,\dots ,x_n)$ takes one of the values $g_1\left(x_1\right),\dots ,g_n\left(x_n\right)$. Given a discrete function $g$, it is an interesting problem to ask whether $g$ is separable or not. Although this seems to be a very basic problem concerning discrete functions, the complexity of recognition of separable discrete functions of $n$ variables is known only for $n=2$. In this paper we will show that a slightly more general recognition problem, when $g$ is not fully but only partially defined, is NP-complete for $n\ge 3$. We will then use this result to show that the recognition of fully defined separable discrete functions is NP-complete for $n\ge 4$.The general recognition problem contains the above mentioned special case for $n=2$. This case is well-studied in the context of game theory, where (separable) discrete functions of $n$ variables are referred to as (assignable) $n$-person game forms. There is a known sufficient condition for assignability (separability) of two-person game forms (discrete functions of two variables) called (weak) total tightness of a game form. This property can be tested in polynomial time, and can be easily generalized both to higher dimension and to partially defined functions. We will prove in this paper that weak total tightness implies separability for (partially defined) discrete functions of $n$ variables for any $n$, thus generalizing the above result known for $n=2$. Our proof is constructive. Using a graph-based discrete algorithm we show how for a given weakly totally tight (partially defined) discrete function $g$ of $n$ variables one can construct separating functions $g_1,\dots ,g_n$ in polynomial time with respect to the size of the input function.     

Sharp upper bounds of the spectral radius of a graph

Let $G$ be a simple connected graph with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges. The spectral radius $\rho \left(G\right)$ of $G$ is the largest eigenvalue of its adjacency matrix. In this paper, we firstly consider the effect on the spectral radius of a graph by removing a vertex, and then as an application of the result, we obtain a new sharp upper bound of $\rho \left(G\right)$ which improves some known bounds: If $\frac{(k?2)(k?3)}{2}\le m?n\le \frac{k(k?3)}{2}$, where $k(3\le k\le n)$ is an integer, then $\rho \left(G\right)\le \sqrt{2m?n?k+\frac{5}{2}+\sqrt{2m?2n+\frac{9}{4}}}.$The equality holds if and only if $G$ is a complete graph $K_n$ or $K_4?e$, where $K_4?e$ is the graph obtained from $K_4$ by deleting some edge $e$.     

Spectral analysis of two doubly infinite Jacobi matrices with exponential entries

We provide a complete spectral analysis of all self-adjoint operators acting on ${?}^2(\mathbb{Z})$ which are associated with two doubly infinite Jacobi matrices with entries given by

$q^{?n+1}{\delta }_{m,n?1}+q^{?n}{\delta }_{m,n+1}$

and

${\delta }_{m,n?1}+\alpha q^{?n}{\delta }_{m,n}+{\delta }_{m,n+1},$

respectively, where $q\in (0,1)$ and $\alpha \in \mathbb{R}$. As an application, we derive orthogonality relations for the Ramanujan entire function and the third Jackson q-Bessel function.     

Spanning trees with at most 4 leaves in K1,5-free graphs

In 2009, Kyaw proved that every $n$-vertex connected $K_{1,4}$-free graph $G$ with ${\sigma }_4\left(G\right)\ge n?1$ contains a spanning tree with at most 3 leaves. In this paper, we prove an analogue of Kyaw’s result for connected $K_{1,5}$-free graphs. We show that every $n$-vertex connected $K_{1,5}$-free graph $G$ with ${\sigma }_5\left(G\right)\ge n?1$ contains a spanning tree with at most 4 leaves. Moreover, the degree sum condition “${\sigma }_5\left(G\right)\ge n?1$” is best possible.     

On the largest element in D(n)-quadruples

Let $n$ be a nonzero integer. A set of nonzero integers $\{a_1,\dots ,a_m\}$ such that $a_i{a}_j+n$ is a perfect square for all $1\le i<j\le m$ is called a $D\left(n\right)$-$m$-tuple. In this paper, we consider the question, for a given integer $n$ which is not a perfect square, how large and how small can be the largest element in a $D\left(n\right)$-quadruple. We construct families of $D\left(n\right)$-quadruples in which the largest element is of order of magnitude ${\left|n\right|}^3$, resp. ${\left|n\right|}^{2∕5}$.     

Enclosings of decompositions of complete multigraphs in 2-edge-connected r-factorizations

A decomposition of a multigraph $G$ is a partition of its edges into subgraphs $G\left(1\right),\dots ,G\left(k\right)$. It is called an $r$-factorization if every $G\left(i\right)$ is $r$-regular and spanning. If $G$ is a subgraph of $H$, a decomposition of $G$ is said to be enclosed in a decomposition of $H$ if, for every $1\le i\le k$, $G\left(i\right)$ is a subgraph of $H\left(i\right)$.Feghali and Johnson gave necessary and sufficient conditions for a given decomposition of $\lambda K_n$ to be enclosed in some 2-edge-connected $r$-factorization of $\mu K_m$ for some range of values for the parameters $n$, $m$, $\lambda$, $\mu$, $r$: $r=2$, $\mu >\lambda$ and either $m\ge 2n?1$, or $m=2n?2$ and $\mu =2$ and $\lambda =1$, or $n=3$ and $m=4$. We generalize their result to every $r\ge 2$ and $m\ge 2n?2$. We also give some sufficient conditions for enclosing a given decomposition of $\lambda K_n$ in some 2-edge-connected $r$-factorization of $\mu K_m$ for every $r\ge 3$ and $m>(2?C)n$, where $C$ is a constant that depends only on $r$, $\lambda$ and $\mu$.     

Analytic aspects of Delannoy numbers

The Delannoy numbers $d(n,k)$ count the number of lattice paths from $(0,0)$ to $(n?k,k)$ using steps $(1,0),(0,1)$ and $(1,1)$. We show that the zeros of all Delannoy polynomials $d_n\left(x\right)={\sum }_{k=0}^{n}d(n,k)x^k$ are in the open interval $(?3?2\sqrt{2},?3+2\sqrt{2})$ and are dense in the corresponding closed interval. We also show that the Delannoy numbers $d(n,k)$ are asymptotically normal (by central and local limit theorems).