Combinatorial Embeddings and Representations

Topological embeddings of complete graphs and complete multipartite graphs give rise to combinatorial designs when the faces of the embeddings are triangles. In this case, the blocks of the design correspond to the triangular faces of the embedding. These designs include Steiner, twofold and Mendelsohn triple systems, as well as Latin squares. We look at construction methods, structural properties and other problems concerning these cases. In addition, we look at graph representations by Steiner triple systems and by combinatorial embeddings. This is closely related to finding independent sets in triple systems. We examine which graphs can be represented in Steiner triple systems and combinatorial embeddings of small orders and give several bounds including a bound on the order of Steiner triple systems that are guaranteed to represent all graphs of a given maximum degree. Finally, we provide an enumeration of graphs of up to six edges representable by Steiner triple systems

Ordering and Reordering: Using Heffter Arrays to Biembed Complete Graphs

In this paper we extend the study of Heffter arrays and the biembedding of graphs on orientable surfaces first discussed by Archdeacon in 2014. We begin with the definitions of Heffter systems, Heffter arrays, and their relationship to orientable biembeddings through current graphs. We then focus on two specific cases. We first prove the existence of embeddings for every K_(6n+1) with every edge on a face of size 3 and a face of size n. We next present partial results for biembedding K_(10n+1) with every edge on a face of size 5 and a face of size n. Finally, we address the more general question of ordering subsets of Z_n take away {0}. We conclude with some open conjectures and further explorations

Self-embeddings of Hamming Steiner triple systems of small order and APN permutations

The classification, up to isomorphism, of all self-embedding monomial power permutations of Hamming Steiner triple systems of order n = 2 m − 1 for small m (m ≤ 22), is given. As far as we know, for m ∈ {5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19}, all given self-embeddings in closed surfaces are new. Moreover, they are cyclic for all m and nonorientable at least for all m ≤ 19. For any non prime m, the nonexistence of such self-embeddings in a closed surface is proven. The rotation line spectrum for self-embeddings of Hamming Steiner triple systems in pseudosurfaces with pinch points as an invariant to distinguish APN permutations or, in general, to classify permutations, is also proposed. This invariant applied to APN monomial power permutations gives a classification which coincides with the classification of such permutations via CCZ-equivalence, at least up to m ≤ 17

Biembeddings of cycle systems using integer Heffter arrays

In this paper, we use constructions of Heffter arrays to verify the existence of face 2‐colorable embeddings of cycle decompositions of the complete graph. Specifically, for n ≡ 1 (mod 4) and k ≡3(mod 4), n k ≫ ⩾ 7 and when n ≡ 0(mod 3) then k ≡ 7(mod 12), there exist face 2-colorable embeddings of the complete graph K₂ₙₖ₊₁ onto an orientable surface where each face is a cycle of a fixed length k. In these embeddings the vertices of K₂ₙₖ₊₁ will be labeled with the elements of Z₂ₙₖ₊₁ in such a way that the group, (Z₂ₙₖ₊₁, +) acts sharply transitively on the vertices of the embedding. This result is achieved by verifying the existence of nonequivalent Heffter arrays, H (n ; k), which satisfy the conditions: (1) for each row and each column the sequential partial sums determined by the natural ordering must be distinct modulo 2nk + 1; (2) the composition of the natural orderings of the rows and columns is equivalent to a single cycle permutation on the entries in the array. The existence of Heffter arrays H (n ; k) that satisfy condition (1) was established earlier in Burrage et al. and in this current paper, we vary this construction and show, for k ⩾ 11, that there are at least (n − 2)[((k − 11)/4)!/ ]² such nonequivalent H (n ; k) that satisfy both conditions (1) and (2)

A problem on partial sums in abelian groups

In this paper we propose a conjecture concerning partial sums of an arbitrary finite subset of an abelian group, that naturally arises investigating simple Heffter systems. Then, we show its connection with related open problems and we present some results about the validity of these conjectures