A note on K4-closures in Hamiltonian graph theory

Let G=(V, E) be a 2-connected graph. We call two vertices u and v of G a K4-pair if u and v are the vertices of degree two of an induced subgraph of G which is isomorphic to K4 minus an edge. Let x and y be the common neighbors of a K4-pair u, v in an induced K4−e. We prove the following result: If N(x)N(y)N(u)N(v){u,v}, then G is hamiltonian if and only if G+uv is h amiltonian. As a consequence, a claw-free graph G is hamiltonian if and only if G+uv is hamiltonian, where u,v is a K4-pair. Based on these results we define socalled K4-closures of G. We give infinite classes of graphs with small maximum degree and large diameter, and with many vertices of degree two having complete K4-closures

Subgraphs, Closures and Hamiltonicity

Closure theorems in hamiltonian graph theory are of the following type: Let G be a 2- connected graph and let u, v be two distinct nonadjacent vertices of G. If condition c(u,v) holds, then G is hamiltonian if and only if G + uv is hamiltonian. We discuss several results of this type in which u and v are vertices of a subgraph H of G on four vertices and c(u, v) is a condition on the neighborhoods of the vertices of H (in G). We also discuss corresponding sufficient conditions for hamiltonicity of G

On factors of 4-connected claw-free graphs

We consider the existence of several different kinds of factors in 4-connected claw-free graphs. This is motivated by the following two conjectures which are in fact equivalent by a recent result of the third author. Conjecture 1 (Thomassen): Every 4-connected line graph is Hamiltonian, i.e. has a connected 2-factor. Conjecture 2 (Matthews and Sumner): Every 4-connected claw-free graph is hamiltonian. We first show that Conjecture 2 is true within the class of hourglass-free graphs, i.e. graphs that do not contain an induced subgraph isomorphic to two triangles meeting in exactly one vertex. Next we show that a weaker form of Conjecture 2 is true, in which the conclusion is replaced by the conclusion that there exists a connected spanning subgraph in which each vertex has degree two or four. Finally we show that Conjecture 1 and 2 are equivalent to seemingly weaker conjectures in which the conclusion is replaced by the conclusion that there exists a spanning subgraph consisting of a bounded number of paths. \u

Generalized Laminar Matroids

Nested matroids were introduced by Crapo in 1965 and have appeared frequently in the literature since then. A flat of a matroid $M$ is Hamiltonian if it has a spanning circuit. A matroid $M$ is nested if and only if its Hamiltonian flats form a chain under inclusion; $M$ is laminar if and only if, for every $1$-element independent set $X$, the Hamiltonian flats of $M$ containing $X$ form a chain under inclusion. We generalize these notions to define the classes of $k$-closure-laminar and $k$-laminar matroids. This paper focuses on structural properties of these classes noting that, while the second class is always minor-closed, the first is if and only if $k \le 3$. The main results are excluded-minor characterizations for the classes of 2-laminar and 2-closure-laminar matroids.Comment: 12 page

A closure concept in factor-critical graphs

AbstractA graph G is called n-factor-critical if the removal of every set of n vertices results in a~graph with a~1-factor. We prove the following theorem: Let G be a~graph and let x be a~locally n-connected vertex. Let {u,v} be a~pair of vertices in V(G)−{x} such that uv∉E(G), x∈NG(u)∩NG(v), and NG(x)⊂NG(u)∪NG(v)∪{u,v}. Then G is n-factor-critical if and only if G+uv is n-factor-critical

On factors of 4-connected claw-free graphs

We consider the existence of several different kinds of factors in 4-connected claw-free graphs. This is motivated by the following two conjectures which are in fact equivalent by a recent result of the third author. Conjecture 1 (Thomassen): Every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian, i.e., has a connected 2-factor. Conjecture 2 (Matthews and Sumner): Every 4-connected claw-free graph is hamiltonian. We first show that Conjecture 2 is true within the class of hourglass-free graphs, i.e., graphs that do not contain an induced subgraph isomorphic to two triangles meeting in exactly one vertex. Next we show that a weaker form of Conjecture 2 is true, in which the conclusion is replaced by the conclusion that there exists a connected spanning subgraph in which each vertex has degree two or four. Finally we show that Conjectures 1 and 2 are equivalent to seemingly weaker conjectures in which the conclusion is replaced by the conclusion that there exists a spanning subgraph consisting of a bounded number of paths

The Heisenberg Relation - Mathematical Formulations

We study some of the possibilities for formulating the Heisenberg relation of quantum mechanics in mathematical terms. In particular, we examine the framework discussed by Murray and von Neumann, the family (algebra) of operators affiliated with a finite factor (of infinite linear dimension)

Bounding tree-width via contraction on the projective plane and torus

If X is a collection of edges in a graph G, let G/X denote the contraction of X. Following a question of Oxley and a conjecture of Oporowski, we prove that every projective-planar graph G admits an edge-partition {X,Y} such that G/X and G/Y have tree-width at most three. We prove that every toroidal graph G admits an edge-partition {X,Y} such that G/X and G/Y have tree-width at most three and four, respectively