Flows and generalized coloring theorems in graphs

An (oriented) graph H is said to be F_k(k ≥ 2) iff there exists an integer flow in H with all edge-values in $\text{[1 ? k, ?1] ? [1, k ? 1]}$. It is known that a plane 2-edge-connected graph is face-colorable with k colors (k ≥ 2) iff it is F_k; W. T. Tutte has proposed [1] to seek for extensions to general graphs of coloring results known for planar graphs through the use of the F_k property. In this direction, we prove among other results that every 2-edge-connected graph is F₈.     

Algorithms for coloring semi-random graphs

The graph coloring problem is to color a given graph with the minimum number of colors. This problem is known to be NP-hard even if we are only aiming at approximate solutions. On the other hand, the best known approximation algorithms require n^δ (δ>0) colors even for bounded chromatic (k-colorable for fixed k) n-vertex graphs. The situation changes dramatically if we look at the average performance of an algorithm rather than its worst case performance. A k-colorable graph drawn from certain classes of distributions can be k-colored almost surely in polynomial time. It is also possible to k-color such random graphs in polynomial average time. In this paper, we present polynomial time algorithms for k-coloring graphs drawn from the semirandom model. In this model, the graph is supplied by an adversary each of whose decisions regarding inclusion of edges is reversed with some probability p. In terms of randomness, this model lies between the worst case model and the usual random model where each edge is chosen with equal probability. We present polynomial time algorithms of two different types. The first type of algorithms always run in polynomial time and succeed almost surely. Blum and Spencer [J. Algorithms, 19 , 204–234 (1995)] have also obtained independently such algorithms, but our results are based on different proof techniques which are interesting in their own right. The second type of algorithms always succeed and have polynomial running time on the average. Such algorithms are more useful and more difficult to obtain than the first type of algorithms. Our algorithms work for semirandom graphs drawn from a wide range of distributions and work as long as p≥n^−α(k)+ϵ where α(k)=(2k)/((k−1)(k+2)) and ϵ is a positive constant. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 13, 125–158 (1998)     

Oriented coloring of triangle-free planar graphs and 2-outerplanar graphs

A graph is 2-outerplanar if it has a planar embedding such that the subgraph obtained by removing the vertices of the external face is outerplanar (i.e. with all its vertices on the external face). An oriented k-coloring of an oriented graph G is a homomorphism from G to an oriented graph H of order k. We prove that (1) every oriented triangle-free planar graph has an oriented chromatic number at most 40, and (2) every oriented 2-outerplanar graph has an oriented chromatic number at most 40, that improves the previous known bounds of 47 and 67, respectively.     

Legal coloring of graphs

The following computational problem was initiated by Manber and Tompa (22nd FOCS Conference, 1981): Given a graphG=(V, E) and a real functionf:V→R which is a proposed vertex coloring. Decide whetherf is a proper vertex coloring ofG. The elementary steps are taken to be linear comparisons. Lower bounds on the complexity of this problem are derived using the chromatic polynomial ofG. It is shown how geometric parameters of a space partition associated withG influence the complexity of this problem. Existing methods for analyzing such space partitions are suggested as a powerful tool for establishing lower bounds for a variety of computational problems.     

An ant-based algorithm for coloring graphs

This paper presents an ant-based algorithm for the graph coloring problem. An important difference that distinguishes this algorithm from previous ant algorithms is the manner in which ants are used in the algorithm. Unlike previous ant algorithms where each ant colors the entire graph, each ant in this algorithm colors just a portion of the graph using only local information. These individual coloring actions by the ants form a coloring of the graph. Even with the lack of pheromone laying capacity by the ants, the algorithm performed well on a set of 119 benchmark graphs. Furthermore, the algorithm produced very consistent results, having very small standard deviations over 50 runs of each graph tested.     

Backbone coloring for triangle-free planar graphs

Acta Mathematicae Applicatae Sinica, English Series - Let G be a graph and H a subgraph of G. A backbone-k-coloring of (G, H) is a mapping f: V(G) → {1, 2, ···, k} such that...     

Indicated coloring of graphs

We study a graph coloring game in which two players collectively color the vertices of a graph in the following way. In each round the first player (Ann) selects a vertex, and then the second player (Ben) colors it properly, using a fixed set of colors. The goal of Ann is to achieve a proper coloring of the whole graph, while Ben is trying to prevent realization of this project. The smallest number of colors necessary for Ann to win the game on a graph $G$ (regardless of Ben’s strategy) is called the indicated chromatic number of $G$, and denoted by ${\chi }_i\left(G\right)$. We approach the question how much ${\chi }_i\left(G\right)$ differs from the usual chromatic number $\chi \left(G\right)$. In particular, whether there is a function $f$ such that ${\chi }_i\left(G\right)?f\left(\chi \left(G\right)\right)$ for every graph $G$. We prove that $f$ cannot be linear with leading coefficient less than $4/3$. On the other hand, we show that the indicated chromatic number of random graphs is bounded roughly by $4\chi \left(G\right)$. We also exhibit several classes of graphs for which ${\chi }_i\left(G\right)=\chi \left(G\right)$ and show that this equality for any class of perfect graphs implies Clique-Pair Conjecture for this class of graphs.     

不含短圈的平面图的2- 距离染色

图的2- 距离染色是将图中距离不超过2 的点对染不同的色. 本文证明了g(G) > 5 且Δ(G) > 18的平面图G 有(Δ + 6)-2- 距离染色.     

Balanced coloring of bipartite graphs

Given a bipartite graph G(U∪V, E) with n vertices on each side, an independent set I∈G such that |U∩I|=|V∩I| is called a balanced bipartite independent set. A balanced coloring of G is a coloring of the vertices of G such that each color class induces a balanced bipartite independent set in G. If graph G has a balanced coloring we call it colorable. The coloring number χ_B(G) is the minimum number of colors in a balanced coloring of a colorable graph G. We shall give bounds on χ_B(G) in terms of the average degree $\bar{d}$ of G and in terms of the maximum degree Δ of G. In particular we prove the following:

• $\chi_{{{B}}}({{G}}) \leq {{max}} \{{{2}},\lfloor {{2}}\overline{{{d}}}\rfloor+{{1}}\}$.
• For any 0<ε<1 there is a constant Δ₀ such that the following holds. Let G be a balanced bipartite graph with maximum degree Δ≥Δ₀ and n≥(1+ε)2Δ vertices on each side, then $\chi_{{{B}}}({{G}})\leq \frac{{{{20}}}}{\epsilon^{{{2}}}} \frac{\Delta}{{{{ln}}}\,\Delta}$.

© 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 277–291, 2010     

Local coloring of Kneser graphs

A local coloring of a graph G is a function c:V(G)→N having the property that for each set S⊆V(G) with 2≤|S|≤3, there exist vertices u,v∈S such that |c(u)−c(v)|≥m_S, where m_S is the number of edges of the induced subgraph 〈S〉. The maximum color assigned by a local coloring c to a vertex of G is called the value of c and is denoted by χ_?(c). The local chromatic number of G is χ_?(G)=min{χ_?(c)}, where the minimum is taken over all local colorings c of G. The local coloring of graphs was introduced by Chartrand et al. [G. Chartrand, E. Salehi, P. Zhang, On local colorings of graphs, Congressus Numerantium 163 (2003) 207-221]. In this paper the local coloring of Kneser graphs is studied and the local chromatic number of the Kneser graph K(n,k) for some values of n and k is determined.     

Circular coloring of signed graphs

Let ( be two positive integers. We generalize the well‐studied notions of ‐colorings and of the circular chromatic number to signed graphs. This implies a new notion of colorings of signed graphs, and the corresponding chromatic number χ. Some basic facts on circular colorings of signed graphs and on the circular chromatic number are proved, and differences to the results on unsigned graphs are analyzed. In particular, we show that the difference between the circular chromatic number and the chromatic number of a signed graph is at most 1. Indeed, there are signed graphs where the difference is 1. On the other hand, for a signed graph on n vertices, if the difference is smaller than 1, then there exists , such that the difference is at most . We also show that the notion of ‐colorings is equivalent to r‐colorings (see [12] (X. Zhu, Recent developments in circular coloring of graphs, in Topics in Discrete Mathematics Algorithms and Combinatorics Volume 26 , Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2006, pp. 497–550)).     

On-line coloring of perfect graphs

Lovász, Saks, and Trotter showed that there exists an on-line algorithm which will color any on-linek-colorable graph onn vertices withO(nlog^(2k–3) n/log^(2k–4) n) colors. Vishwanathan showed that at least (log ^k–1 n/k ^k ) colors are needed. While these remain the best known bounds, they give a distressingly weak approximation of the number of colors required. In this article we study the case of perfect graphs. We prove that there exists an on-line algorithm which will color any on-linek-colorable perfect graph onn vertices withn ^10k/loglogn colors and that Vishwanathan's techniques can be slightly modified to show that his lower bound also holds for perfect graphs. This suggests that Vishwanathan's lower bound is far from tight in the general case.Research partially supported by Office of Naval Research grant N00014-90-J-1206.     

The distance coloring of graphs

Let G be a connected graph with maximum degree Δ≥ 3.We investigate the upper bound for the chromatic number χγ(G) of the power graph Gγ.It was proved that χγ(G) ≤Δ(Δ-1)γ-1Δ-2+ 1 =:M + 1,where the equality holds if and only if G is a Moore graph.If G is not a Moore graph,and G satisfies one of the following conditions:(1) G is non-regular,(2) the girth g(G) ≤ 2γ- 1,(3)g(G) ≥ 2γ + 2,and the connectivity κ(G) ≥ 3 if γ≥ 3,κ(G) ≥ 4 but g(G) 6 if γ = 2,(4) Δis sufficiently larger than a given number only depending on γ,then χγ(G) ≤ M- 1.By means of the spectral radius λ1(G) of the adjacency matrix of G,it was shown that χ2(G) ≤λ1(G)2+ 1,where the equality holds if and only if G is a star or a Moore graph with diameter 2 and girth 5,and χγ(G)λ1(G)γ+1 ifγ≥3.     

A fast algorithm for coloring Meyniel graphs

We color the nodes of a graph by first applying successive contractions to non-adjacent nodes until we get a clique; then we color the clique and decontract the graph. We show that this algorithm provides a minimum coloring and a maximum clique for any Meyniel graph by using a simple rule for choosing which nodes are to be contracted. This O(n³) algorithm is much simpler than those already existing for Meyniel graphs. Moreover, the optimality of this algorithm for Meyniel graphs provides an alternate nice proof of the following result of Hoàng: a graph G is Meyniel if and only if, for any induced subgraph of G, each node belongs to a stable set that meets all maximal cliques. Finally we give a new characterization for Meyniel graphs.