The maximum forcing number of polyomino

The forcing number of a perfect matching $M$ of a graph $G$ is the cardinality of the smallest subset of $M$ that is contained in no other perfect matchings of $G$. For a planar embedding of a 2-connected bipartite planar graph $G$ which has a perfect matching, the concept of Clar number of hexagonal system had been extended by Abeledo and Atkinson as follows: a spanning subgraph $C$ of is called a Clar cover of $G$ if each of its components is either an even face or an edge, the maximum number of even faces in Clar covers of $G$ is called Clar number of $G$, and the Clar cover with the maximum number of even faces is called the maximum Clar cover. It was proved that if $G$ is a hexagonal system with a perfect matching $M$ and $K'$ is a set of hexagons in a maximum Clar cover of $G$, then $G-K'$ has a unique 1-factor. Using this result, Xu {\it et. at.} proved that the maximum forcing number of the elementary hexagonal system are equal to their Clar numbers, and then the maximum forcing number of the elementary hexagonal system can be computed in polynomial time. In this paper, we show that an elementary polyomino has a unique perfect matching when removing the set of tetragons from its maximum Clar cover. Thus the maximum forcing number of elementary polyomino equals to its Clar number and can be computed in polynomial time. Also, we have extended our result to the non-elementary polyomino and hexagonal system

The Clar covering polynomial of hexagonal systems I

AbstractIn this paper the Clar covering polynomial of a hexagonal system is introduced. In fact it is a kind of F polynomial [4] of a graph, and can be calculated by recurrence relations. We show that the number of aromatic sextets (in a Clar formula), the number of Clar formulas, the number of Kekulé structures and the first Herndon number for any Kekuléan hexagonal system can be easily obtained by its Clar covering polynomial. In addition, we give some theorems to calculate the Clar covering polynomial of a hexagonal system. As examples we finally derive the explicit expressions of the Clar covering polynomials for some small hexagonal systems and several types of catacondensed hexagonal systems. A relation between the resonance energy and the Clar covering polynomial of a hexagonal system is considered in the next paper

A Maximum Resonant Set of Polyomino Graphs

A polyomino graph $H$ is a connected finite subgraph of the infinite plane grid such that each finite face is surrounded by a regular square of side length one and each edge belongs to at least one square. In this paper, we show that if $K$ is a maximum resonant set of $H$, then $H-K$ has a unique perfect matching. We further prove that the maximum forcing number of a polyomino graph is equal to its Clar number. Based on this result, we have that the maximum forcing number of a polyomino graph can be computed in polynomial time. We also show that if $K$ is a maximal alternating set of $H$, then $H-K$ has a unique perfect matching.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Maximum cardinality resonant sets and maximal alternating sets of hexagonal systems

AbstractIt is shown that the Clar number can be arbitrarily larger than the cardinality of a maximal alternating set. In particular, a maximal alternating set of a hexagonal system need not contain a maximum cardinality resonant set, thus disproving a previously stated conjecture. It is known that maximum cardinality resonant sets and maximal alternating sets are canonical, but the proofs of these two theorems are analogous and lengthy. A new conjecture is proposed and it is shown that the validity of the conjecture allows short proofs of the aforementioned two results. The conjecture holds for catacondensed hexagonal systems and for all normal hexagonal systems up to ten hexagons. Also, it is shown that the Fries number can be arbitrarily larger than the Clar number