Parameterized Algorithms for Recognizing Monopolar and 2-Subcolorable Graphs

We consider the recognition problem for two graph classes that generalize split and unipolar graphs, respectively. First, we consider the recognizability of graphs that admit a monopolar partition: a partition of the vertex set into sets A,B such that G[A] is a disjoint union of cliques and G[B] an independent set. If in such a partition G[A] is a single clique, then G is a split graph. We show that in O(2^k * k^3 * (|V(G)| + |E(G)|)) time we can decide whether G admits a monopolar partition (A,B) where G[A] has at most k cliques. This generalizes the linear-time algorithm for recognizing split graphs corresponding to the case when k=1. Second, we consider the recognizability of graphs that admit a 2-subcoloring: a partition of the vertex set into sets A,B such that each of G[A] and G[B] is a disjoint union of cliques. If in such a partition G[A] is a single clique, then G is a unipolar graph. We show that in O(k^(2k+2) * (|V(G)|^2+|V(G)| * |E(G)|)) time we can decide whether G admits a 2-subcoloring (A,B) where G[A] has at most k cliques. This generalizes the polynomial-time algorithm for recognizing unipolar graphs corresponding to the case when k=1. We also show that in O(4^k) time we can decide whether G admits a 2-subcoloring (A,B) where G[A] and G[B] have at most k cliques in total. To obtain the first two results above, we formalize a technique, which we dub inductive recognition, that can be viewed as an adaptation of iterative compression to recognition problems. We believe that the formalization of this technique will prove useful in general for designing parameterized algorithms for recognition problems. Finally, we show that, unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis fails, no subexponential-time algorithms for the above recognition problems exist, and that, unless P=NP, no generic fixed-parameter algorithm exists for the recognizability of graphs whose vertex set can be bipartitioned such that one part is a disjoint union of k cliques

Efficient domination and polarity

The thesis considers the following graph problems: Efficient (Edge) Domination seeks for an independent vertex (edge) subset D such that all other vertices (edges) have exactly one neighbor in D. Polarity asks for a vertex subset that induces a complete multipartite graph and that contains a vertex of every induced P_3. Monopolarity is the special case of Polarity where the wanted vertex subset has to be independent. These problems are NP-complete in general, but efficiently solvable on various graph classes. The thesis sharpens known NP-completeness results and presents new solvable cases

Solving Partition Problems Almost Always Requires Pushing Many Vertices Around

A fundamental graph problem is to recognize whether the vertex set of a graph G can be bipartitioned into sets A and B such that G[A] and G[B] satisfy properties Pi_A and Pi_B, respectively. This so-called (Pi_A,Pi_B)-Recognition problem generalizes amongst others the recognition of 3-colorable, bipartite, split, and monopolar graphs. A powerful algorithmic technique that can be used to obtain fixed-parameter algorithms for many cases of (Pi_A,Pi_B)-Recognition, as well as several other problems, is the pushing process. For bipartition problems, the process starts with an "almost correct" bipartition (A\u27,B\u27), and pushes appropriate vertices from A\u27 to B\u27 and vice versa to eventually arrive at a correct bipartition. In this paper, we study whether (Pi_A,Pi_B)-Recognition problems for which the pushing process yields fixed-parameter algorithms also admit polynomial problem kernels. In our study, we focus on the first level above triviality, where Pi_A is the set of P_3-free graphs (disjoint unions of cliques, or cluster graphs), the parameter is the number of clusters in the cluster graph G[A], and Pi_B is characterized by a set H of connected forbidden induced subgraphs. We prove that, under the assumption that NP not subseteq coNP/poly, (Pi_A,Pi_B)-Recognition admits a polynomial kernel if and only if H contains a graph of order at most 2. In both the kernelization and the lower bound results, we make crucial use of the pushing process

Partitioning a graph into disjoint cliques and a triangle-free graph

A graph G=(V,E) is partitionable if there exists a partition {A,B} of V such that A induces a disjoint union of cliques (i.e., G[A] is P_3-free) and B induces a triangle-free graph (i.e., G[B] is K_3-free). In this paper we investigate the computational complexity of deciding whether a graph is partitionable. The problem is known to be NP-complete on arbitrary graphs. Here it is proved that if a graph G is bull-free, planar, perfect, K_4-free or does not contain certain holes then deciding whether G is partitionable is NP-complete. This answers an open question posed by Thomassé, Trotignon and Vušković. In contrast a finite list of forbidden induced subgraphs is given for partitionable cographs

Polar permutation graphs are polynomial-time recognisable *

Abstract Polar graphs generalise bipartite graphs, cobipartite graphs, and split graphs, and they constitute a special type of matrix partitions. A graph is polar if its vertex set can be partitioned into two, such that one part induces a complete multipartite graph and the other part induces a disjoint union of complete graphs. Deciding whether a given arbitrary graph is polar, is an NP-complete problem. Here, we show that for permutation graphs this problem can be solved in polynomial time. The result is surprising, as related problems like achromatic number and cochromatic number are NP-complete on permutation graphs. We give a polynomial-time algorithm for recognising graphs that are both permutation and polar. Prior to our result, polarity has been resolved only for chordal graphs and cographs

Topics in graph colouring and extremal graph theory

In this thesis we consider three problems related to colourings of graphs and one problem in extremal graph theory. Let $G$ be a connected graph with $n$ vertices and maximum degree $\Delta(G)$. Let $R_k(G)$ denote the graph with vertex set all proper $k$-colourings of $G$ and two $k$-colourings are joined by an edge if they differ on the colour of exactly one vertex. Our first main result states that $R_{\Delta(G)+1}(G)$ has a unique non-trivial component with diameter $O(n^2)$. This result can be viewed as a reconfigurations analogue of Brooks' Theorem and completes the study of reconfigurations of colourings of graphs with bounded maximum degree. A Kempe change is the operation of swapping some colours $a$, $b$ of a component of the subgraph induced by vertices with colour $a$ or $b$. Two colourings are Kempe equivalent if one can be obtained from the other by a sequence of Kempe changes. Our second main result states that all $\Delta(G)$-colourings of a graph $G$ are Kempe equivalent unless $G$ is the complete graph or the triangular prism. This settles a conjecture of Mohar (2007). Motivated by finding an algorithmic version of a structure theorem for bull-free graphs due to Chudnovsky (2012), we consider the computational complexity of deciding if the vertices of a graph can be partitioned into two parts such that one part is triangle-free and the other part is a collection of complete graphs. We show that this problem is NP-complete when restricted to five classes of graphs (including bull-free graphs) while polynomial-time solvable for the class of cographs. Finally we consider a graph-theoretic version formulated by Holroyd, Spencer and Talbot (2007) of the famous Erd\H{o}s-Ko-Rado Theorem in extremal combinatorics and obtain some results for the class of trees