Random walks and local cuts in graphs

For a specified subset S of vertices in a graph G we consider local cuts that separate a subset of S. We consider the local Cheeger constant which is the minimum Cheeger ratio over all subsets of S, and we examine the relationship between the local Cheeger constant and the Dirichlet eigenvalue of the induced subgraph on S. These relationships are summarized in a local Cheeger inequality. The proofs are based on the methods of establishing isoperimetric inequalities using random walks and the spectral methods for eigenvalues with Dirichlet boundary conditions.     

Inclusion-exclusion inequalities

Ifμ is a positive measure, andA ₂, ...,A _n are measurable sets, the sequencesS ₀, ...,S _n andP _[0], ...,P _[n] are related by the inclusion-exclusion equalities. Inequalities among theS _i are based on the obviousP _[k]≧0. Letting =the average average measure of the intersection ofk of the setsA _i , it is shown that (−1) ^k Δ ^k M _i ≧0 fori+k≦n. The casek=1 yields Fréchet’s inequalities, andk=2 yields Gumbel’s and K. L. Chung’s inequalities. Generalizations are given involvingk-th order divided differences. Using convexity arguments, it is shown that forS ₀=1, whenS ₁≧N−1, and for 1≦k<N≦n andv=0, 1, .... Asymptotic results asn → ∞ are obtained. In particular it is shown that for fixedN, for all sequencesM ₀, ...,M _n of sufficiently large length if and only if for 0<t<1.     

On depth first search strees inm-out digraphs

We consider depth first search (DFS for short) trees in a class of random digraphs: am-out model. Let _i be thei ^th vertex encountered by DFS andL(i, m, n) be the height of _i in the corresponding DFS tree. We show that ifi/n asn, then there exists a constanta(,m), to be defined later, such thatL(i, m, n)/n converges in probability toa(,m) asn. We also obtain results concerning the number of vertices and the number of leaves in a DFS tree.     

The elimination procedure for the competition number is not optimal

Given an acyclic digraph D, the competition graph C(D) is defined to be the undirected graph with V(D) as its vertex set and where vertices x and y are adjacent if there exists another vertex z such that the arcs (x,z) and (y,z) are both present in D. The competition number k(G) for an undirected graph G is the least number r such that there exists an acyclic digraph F on |V(G)|+r vertices where C(F) is G along with r isolated vertices. Kim and Roberts [The Elimination Procedure for the Competition Number, Ars Combin. 50 (1998) 97-113] introduced an elimination procedure for the competition number, and asked whether the procedure calculated the competition number for all graphs. We answer this question in the negative by demonstrating a graph where the elimination procedure does not calculate the competition number. This graph also provides a negative answer to a similar question about the related elimination procedure for the phylogeny number introduced by the current author in [S.G. Hartke, The Elimination Procedure for the Phylogeny Number, Ars Combin. 75 (2005) 297-311].     

Authentication schemes from actions on graphs, groups, or rings

We propose a couple of general ways of constructing authentication schemes from actions of a semigroup on a set, without exploiting any specific algebraic properties of the set acted upon. Then we give several concrete realizations of this general idea, and in particular, we describe several authentication schemes with long-term private keys where forgery (a.k.a. impersonation) is NP-hard. Computationally hard problems that can be employed in these realizations include the Graph Colorability problem, the Diophantine problem, and many others.     

Polynomial time algorithms for recognizing and isomorphism testing of cyclic tournaments

In [3] the problem of finding an efficient criterion for isomorphism testing of cyclic graphs was posed. In the context of the theory of computational complexity the problem reduces to that of the existence of a polynomial-time algorithm for recognizing their isomorphism. The main result of the present paper is an algorithm for finding among all tournaments the cyclic ones. For cyclic tournaments generators of the automorphism group and the set of canonical labels are constructed. The running time of the algorithm is bounded by a polynomial function of the number of input tournament vertices. Thus an affirmative answer to the above problem is obtained.     

Upward planarity testing

Acyclic digraphs, such as the covering digraphs of ordered sets, are usually drawn upward, i.e., with the edges monotonically increasing in the vertical direction. A digraph is upward planar if it admits an upward planar drawing. In this survey paper, we overview the literature on the problem of upward planarity testing. We present several characterizations of upward planarity and describe upward planarity testing algorithms for special classes of digraphs, such as embedded digraphs and single-source digraphs. We also sketch the proof of NP-completeness of upward planarity testing.Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant CCR-9423847.     

Fcfs-scheduling in a hard real-time environment under rush-hour conditions

We investigate some real-time behaviour of a (discrete time) single server system with FCFS (first come first serve) task scheduling under rush-hour conditions. The main result deals with the probability distribution of a random variable SRD(T), which describes the time the system operates without violating a fixed task service time deadlineT.Relying on a simple general probability model, asymptotic formulas concerning the mean and the variance of SRD(T) are determined; for instance, if the average arrival rate is larger than the departure rate, the expectation of SRD(T) is proved to fulfilE[SRD(T)]=c ₁+O(T ^–3) forT, wherec ₁ denotes some constant. If the arrival rate equals the departure rate, we findE[SRD(T)]c ₂ T ⁱ for somei2.     

Reconstructing compositions

We consider the problem of reconstructing compositions of an integer from their subcompositions, which was raised by Raykova (albeit disguised as a question about layered permutations). We show that every composition w of n?3k+1 can be reconstructed from its set of k-deletions, i.e., the set of all compositions of n-k contained in w. As there are compositions of 3k with the same set of k-deletions, this result is best possible.     

On the Value of a Random Minimum Weight Steiner Tree

Consider a complete graph on n vertices with edge weights chosen randomly and independently from an exponential distribution with parameter 1. Fix k vertices and consider the minimum weight Steiner tree which contains these vertices. We prove that with high probability the weight of this tree is (1+o(1))(k-1)(log n-log k)/n when k =o(n) and n.* Research supported in part by NSF grant DSM9971788 Research supported in part by NSF grants DMS-0106589, CCR-9987845 and by the State of New Jersey. Part of this research was done while visiting IBM T. J. Watson Research Center.     

Expected length of the longest common subsequence for large alphabets

We consider the length L of the longest common subsequence of two randomly uniformly and independently chosen n character words over a k-ary alphabet. Subadditivity arguments yield that E[L]/n converges to a constant γ_k. We prove a conjecture of Sankoff and Mainville from the early 1980s claiming that as k→∞.     

Toward a language theoretic proof of the four color theorem

This paper considers the problem of showing that every pair of binary trees with the same number of leaves parses a common word under a certain simple grammar. We enumerate the common parse words for several infinite families of tree pairs and discuss several ways to reduce the problem of finding a parse word for a pair of trees to that for a smaller pair. The statement that every pair of trees has a common parse word is equivalent to the statement that every planar graph is four-colorable, so the results are a step toward a language theoretic proof of the four color theorem.     

The local nature of Δ-coloring and its algorithmic applications

Given a connected graphG=(V, E) with |V|=n and maximum degree such thatG is neither a complete graph nor an odd cycle, Brooks' theorem states thatG can be colored with colors. We generalize this as follows: letG-v be -colored; then,v can be colored by considering the vertices in anO(log n) radius aroundv and by recoloring anO(log n) length augmenting path inside it. Using this, we show that -coloringG is reducible inO(log³ n/log) time to (+1)-vertex coloringG in a distributed model of computation. This leads to fast distributed algorithms and a linear-processorNC algorithm for -coloring.A preliminary version of this paper appeared as part of the paper Improved Distributed Algorithms for Coloring and Network Decomposition Problems, in theProceedings of the ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing pages 581–592, 1992. This research was done when the authors were at the Computer Science Department of Cornell University. The research was supported in part by NSF PYI award CCR-89-96272 with matching funds from UPS and Sun Microsystems.     

Hamiltonian paths with prescribed edges in hypercubes

Given a set P of at most 2n-4 prescribed edges (n?5) and vertices u and v whose mutual distance is odd, the n-dimensional hypercube Q_n contains a hamiltonian path between u and v passing through all edges of P iff the subgraph induced by P consists of pairwise vertex-disjoint paths, none of them having u or v as internal vertices or both of them as endvertices. This resolves a problem of Caha and Koubek who showed that for any n?3 there exist vertices u,v and 2n-3 edges of Q_n not contained in any hamiltonian path between u and v, but still satisfying the condition above. The proof of the main theorem is based on an inductive construction whose basis for n=5 was verified by a computer search. Classical results on hamiltonian edge-fault tolerance of hypercubes are obtained as a corollary.     

Graph spectra in Computer Science

In this paper, we shall give a survey of applications of the theory of graph spectra to Computer Science. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of several graph matrices appear in numerous papers on various subjects relevant to information and communication technologies. In particular, we survey applications in modeling and searching Internet, in computer vision, data mining, multiprocessor systems, statistical databases, and in several other areas. Some related new mathematical results are included together with several comments on perspectives for future research. In particular, we claim that balanced subdivisions of cubic graphs are good models for virus resistent computer networks and point out some advantages in using integral graphs as multiprocessor interconnection networks.     

Davenport–Schinzel Trees*

In this paper we study labeled–tree analogues of (generalized) Davenport–Schinzel sequences.We say that two sequences a ₁ ... a _k , b ₁ ... b _k of equal length k are isomorphic, if a _i = a _j i b _i = b _j (for all i, j). For example, the sequences 11232, 33141 are isomorphic. We investigate the maximum size of a labeled (rooted) tree with each vertex labeled by one of n labels in such a way that, besides some technical conditions, the sequence of labels along any path (starting from the root) contains no subsequence isomorphic to a fixed forbidden sequence u.We study two models of such labeled trees. Each of the models is known to be essentially equivalent also to other models. The labeled paths in a special case of one of our models correspond to classical Davenport–Schinzel sequences.We investigate, in particular, for which sequences u the labeled tree has at most O(n) vertices. In both models, we answer this question for any forbidden sequence u over a two-element alphabet and also for a large class of other sequences u.* This research was partially supported by Charles University grants No. 99/158 and 99/159 and by Czech Republic Grant GAR 201/99/0242. Supported by project LN00A056 of The Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic.     

Combinatorial parameters in bargraphs

Bargraphs are non-intersecting lattice paths in with 3 allowed types of steps; up (0, 1), down (0, ?1) and horizontal (1, 0). They start at the origin with an up step and terminate immediately upon return to the x-axis. We unify the study of integer compositions (ordered partitions) with that of bargraph lattice paths by obtaining a single generating function for both these structures. We also obtain the asymptotic expected size of the underlying composition associated with an arbitrary bargraph as the semiperimeter tends to infinity (equivalently the expected value for the total area under the bargraph). In addition, the number of descents, the number of up steps and the number of level steps are found together with their asymptotic expressions for large semiperimeter.     

( d, m )-dominating numbers of hypercube

This paper shows that the (d, m)-dominating number of the m-dimensional hypercube Q _m (m≥4) is 2 for any integer d. . The project supported by NSFC and NSFJS.     

Minimizing the jump number for partially ordered sets: A graph-theoretic approach

The purpose of this paper is to present a graph-theoretic approach to the jump number problem for N-free posets which is based on the observation that the Hasse diagram of an N-free poset is a line digraph. Therefore, to every N-free poset P we can assign another digraph which is the root digraph of the Hasse diagram of P. Using this representation we show that the jump number of an N-free poset is equal to the cyclomatic number of its root digraph and can be found (without producing any linear extension) by an algorithm which tests if a given poset is N-free. Moreover, we demonstrate that there exists a correspondence between optimal linear extensions of an N-free poset and spanning branchings of its root digraph. We provide also another proof of the fact that optimal linear extensions of N-free posets are exactly greedy linear extensions. In conclusion, we discuss some possible generalizations of these results to arbitrary posets.