Kernels by monochromatic paths in digraphs with covering number 2

We call the digraph D an k-colored digraph if the arcs of D are colored with k colors. A subdigraph H of D is called monochromatic if all of its arcs are colored alike. A set N⊆V(D) is said to be a kernel by monochromatic paths if it satisfies the following two conditions: (i) for every pair of different vertices u,v∈N, there is no monochromatic directed path between them, and (ii) for every vertex x∈(V(D)?N), there is a vertex y∈N such that there is an xy-monochromatic directed path. In this paper, we prove that if D is an k-colored digraph that can be partitioned into two vertex-disjoint transitive tournaments such that every directed cycle of length 3,4 or 5 is monochromatic, then D has a kernel by monochromatic paths. This result gives a positive answer (for this family of digraphs) of the following question, which has motivated many results in monochromatic kernel theory: Is there a natural numberlsuch that if a digraphDisk-colored so that every directed cycle of length at mostlis monochromatic, thenDhas a kernel by monochromatic paths?     

Sufficient Conditions for Maximally Edge-connected and Super-edge-connected Digraphs Depending on the Size

Let D be a finite and simple digraph with vertex set V (D). The minimum degree δ of a digraph D is defined as the minimum value of its out-degrees and its in-degrees. If D is a digraph with minimum degree δ and edge-connectivity λ, then λ ≤ δ. A digraph is maximally edge-connected if λ=δ. A digraph is called super-edge-connected if every minimum edge-cut consists of edges incident to or from a vertex of minimum degree. In this note we show that a digraph is maximally edge-connected or super-edge-connected if the number of arcs is large enough.     

Duality respecting representations and compatible complexity measures for gammoids

We show that every gammoid has special digraph representations, such that a representation of the dual of the gammoid may be easily obtained by reversing all arcs. In an informal sense, the duality notion of a poset applied to the digraph of a special representation of a gammoid commutes with the operation of forming the dual of that gammoid. We use these special representations in order to define a complexity measure for gammoids, such that the classes of gammoids with bounded complexity are closed under duality, minors, and direct sums.     

A sufficient condition for kernel perfectness of a digraph in terms of semikernels modulo F

A kernel of a directed graph is a set of vertices which is both independent and absorbent. And a digraph is said to be kernel perfect if and only if any induced subdigraph has a kernel. Given a set of arcs F , a semikernel S modulo F is an independent set such that if some Sz-arc is not in F , then there exists a zS-arc. A sufficient condition on the digraph is given in terms of semikernel modulo F in order to guarantee that a digraph is kernel perfect. To do that we give a characterization of kernel perfectness which is a generalization of a previous result given by Neumann-Lara [Seminúcleos de una digrfica. Anales del Instituto de Matemticas 2, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1971]. And moreover, we show by means of an example that our result is independent of previous known sufficient conditions.     

A Cauchy-Khinchin matrix inequality

We derive a matrix inequality, which generalizes the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality for vectors, and Khinchin's inequality for zero–one matrices. Furthermore, we pose a related problem on the maximum irregularity of a directed graph with prescribed number of vertices and arcs, and make some remarks on this problem.     

Paths partition with prescribed beginnings in digraphs: A Chvátal-Erd?s condition approach

A digraph D verifies the Chvátal-Erd?s conditions if α(D)?κ(D), where α(D) is the stability number of D and κ(D) is its vertex-connectivity. Related to the Gallai-Milgram Theorem (see Gallai and Milgram [Verallgemeinerung eines Graphentheorischen Satzes von Redei, Acta Sci. Math. 21 (1960) 181-186]), we raise in this context the following conjecture. For every set of α=α(D) vertices {x₁,…,x_α}, there exists a vertex-partition of D into directed paths {P₁,…,P_α} such that P_i begins at x_i for all i. The case α(D)=2 of the conjecture is proved.     

Minimum cost and list homomorphisms to semicomplete digraphs

For digraphs D and H, a mapping f:V(D)→V(H) is a homomorphism of D to H if uv∈A(D) implies f(u)f(v)∈A(H). Let H be a fixed directed or undirected graph. The homomorphism problem for H asks whether a directed or undirected input graph D admits a homomorphism to H. The list homomorphism problem for H is a generalization of the homomorphism problem for H, where every vertex x∈V(D) is assigned a set L_x of possible colors (vertices of H).The following optimization version of these decision problems generalizes the list homomorphism problem and was introduced in Gutin et al. [Level of repair analysis and minimum cost homomorphisms of graphs, Discrete Appl. Math., to appear], where it was motivated by a real-world problem in defence logistics. Suppose we are given a pair of digraphs D,H and a positive integral cost c_i(u) for each u∈V(D) and i∈V(H). The cost of a homomorphism f of D to H is . For a fixed digraph H, the minimum cost homomorphism problem for H is stated as follows: for an input digraph D and costs c_i(u) for each u∈V(D) and i∈V(H), verify whether there is a homomorphism of D to H and, if one exists, find such a homomorphism of minimum cost.We obtain dichotomy classifications of the computational complexity of the list homomorphism and minimum cost homomorphism problems, when H is a semicomplete digraph (digraph in which there is at least one arc between any two vertices). Our dichotomy for the list homomorphism problem coincides with the one obtained by Bang-Jensen, Hell and MacGillivray in 1988 for the homomorphism problem when H is a semicomplete digraph: both problems are polynomial solvable if H has at most one cycle; otherwise, both problems are NP-complete. The dichotomy for the minimum cost homomorphism problem is different: the problem is polynomial time solvable if H is acyclic or H is a cycle of length 2 or 3; otherwise, the problem is NP-hard.     

Independent sets and non-augmentable paths in arc-locally in-semicomplete digraphs and quasi-arc-transitive digraphs

A digraph is arc-locally in-semicomplete if for any pair of adjacent vertices x,y, every in-neighbor of x and every in-neighbor of y either are adjacent or are the same vertex. A digraph is quasi-arc-transitive if for any arc xy, every in-neighbor of x and every out-neighbor of y either are adjacent or are the same vertex. Laborde, Payan and Xuong proposed the following conjecture: Every digraph has an independent set intersecting every non-augmentable path (in particular, every longest path). In this paper, we shall prove that this conjecture is true for arc-locally in-semicomplete digraphs and quasi-arc-transitive digraphs.