Asymptotic Limits and Zeros of Chromatic Polynomials and Ground State Entropy of Potts Antiferromagnets

We study the asymptotic limiting function $W({G},q) = \lim_{n \to \infty}P(G,q)^{1/n}$, where $P(G,q)$ is the chromatic polynomial for a graph $G$ with $n$ vertices. We first discuss a subtlety in the definition of $W({G},q)$ resulting from the fact that at certain special points $q_s$, the following limits do not commute: $\lim_{n \to \infty} \lim_{q \to q_s} P(G,q)^{1/n} \ne \lim_{q \to q_s} \lim_{n \to \infty} P(G,q)^{1/n}$. We then present exact calculations of $W({G},q)$ and determine the corresponding analytic structure in the complex $q$ plane for a number of families of graphs ${G}$, including circuits, wheels, biwheels, bipyramids, and (cyclic and twisted) ladders. We study the zeros of the corresponding chromatic polynomials and prove a theorem that for certain families of graphs, all but a finite number of the zeros lie exactly on a unit circle, whose position depends on the family. Using the connection of $P(G,q)$ with the zero-temperature Potts antiferromagnet, we derive a theorem concerning the maximal finite real point of non-analyticity in $W({G},q)$, denoted $q_c$ and apply this theorem to deduce that $q_c(sq)=3$ and $q_c(hc) = (3+\sqrt{5})/2$ for the square and honeycomb lattices. Finally, numerical calculations of $W(hc,q)$ and $W(sq,q)$ are presented and compared with series expansions and bounds.Comment: 33 pages, Latex, 5 postscript figures, published version; includes further comments on large-q serie

Chromatic Polynomials for Families of Strip Graphs and their Asymptotic Limits

We calculate the chromatic polynomials $P((G_s)_m,q)$ and, from these, the asymptotic limiting functions $W(\{G_s\},q)=\lim_{n \to \infty}P(G_s,q)^{1/n}$ for families of $n$-vertex graphs $(G_s)_m$ comprised of $m$ repeated subgraphs $H$ adjoined to an initial graph $I$. These calculations of $W(\{G_s\},q)$ for infinitely long strips of varying widths yield important insights into properties of $W(\Lambda,q)$ for two-dimensional lattices $\Lambda$. In turn, these results connect with statistical mechanics, since $W(\Lambda,q)$ is the ground state degeneracy of the $q$-state Potts model on the lattice $\Lambda$. For our calculations, we develop and use a generating function method, which enables us to determine both the chromatic polynomials of finite strip graphs and the resultant $W(\{G_s\},q)$ function in the limit $n \to \infty$. From this, we obtain the exact continuous locus of points ${\cal B}$ where $W(\{G_s\},q)$ is nonanalytic in the complex $q$ plane. This locus is shown to consist of arcs which do not separate the $q$ plane into disconnected regions. Zeros of chromatic polynomials are computed for finite strips and compared with the exact locus of singularities ${\cal B}$. We find that as the width of the infinitely long strips is increased, the arcs comprising ${\cal B}$ elongate and move toward each other, which enables one to understand the origin of closed regions that result for the (infinite) 2D lattice.Comment: 48 pages, Latex, 12 encapsulated postscript figures, to appear in Physica

Chromatic roots are dense in the whole complex plane

I show that the zeros of the chromatic polynomials P-G(q) for the generalized theta graphs Theta((s.p)) are taken together, dense in the whole complex plane with the possible exception of the disc \q - l\ < l. The same holds for their dichromatic polynomials (alias Tutte polynomials, alias Potts-model partition functions) Z(G)(q,upsilon) outside the disc \q + upsilon\ < \upsilon\. An immediate corollary is that the chromatic roots of not-necessarily-planar graphs are dense in the whole complex plane. The main technical tool in the proof of these results is the Beraha-Kahane-Weiss theorem oil the limit sets of zeros for certain sequences of analytic functions, for which I give a new and simpler proof