Degree Conditions for Hamiltonian Properties of Claw-free Graphs

This thesis contains many new contributions to the field of hamiltonian graph theory, a very active subfield of graph theory. In particular, we have obtained new sufficient minimum degree and degree sum conditions to guarantee that the graphs satisfying these conditions, or their line graphs, admit a Hamilton cycle (or a Hamilton path), unless they have a small order or they belong to well-defined classes of exceptional graphs. Here, a Hamilton cycle corresponds to traversing the vertices and edges of the graph in such a way that all their vertices are visited exactly once, and we return to our starting vertex (similarly, a Hamilton path reflects a similar way of traversing the graph, but without the last restriction, so we might terminate at a different vertex). In Chapter 1, we presented an introduction to the topics of this thesis together with Ryjáček’s closure for claw-free graphs, Catlin’s reduction method, and the reduction of the core of a graph. In Chapter 2, we found the best possible bounds for the minimum degree condition and the minimum degree sums condition of adjacent vertices for traceability of 2-connected claw-free graph, respectively. In addition, we decreased these lower bounds with one family of well characterized exceptional graphs. In Chapter 3, we extended recent results about the conjecture of Benhocine et al. and results about the conjecture of Z.-H Chen and H.-J Lai. In Chapters 4, 5 and 6, we have successfully tried to unify and extend several existing results involving the degree and neighborhood conditions for the hamiltonicity and traceability of 2-connected claw-free graphs. Throughout this thesis, we have investigated the existence of Hamilton cycles and Hamilton paths under different types of degree and neighborhood conditions, including minimum degree conditions, minimum degree sum conditions on adjacent pairs of vertices, minimum degree sum conditions over all independent sets of t vertices of a graph, minimum cardinality conditions on the neighborhood union over all independent sets of t vertices of a graph, as well minimum cardinality conditions on the neighborhood union over all t vertex sets of a graph. Despite our new contributions, many problems and conjectures remain unsolved

Advances in Discrete Applied Mathematics and Graph Theory

The present reprint contains twelve papers published in the Special Issue “Advances in Discrete Applied Mathematics and Graph Theory, 2021” of the MDPI Mathematics journal, which cover a wide range of topics connected to the theory and applications of Graph Theory and Discrete Applied Mathematics. The focus of the majority of papers is on recent advances in graph theory and applications in chemical graph theory. In particular, the topics studied include bipartite and multipartite Ramsey numbers, graph coloring and chromatic numbers, several varieties of domination (Double Roman, Quasi-Total Roman, Total 3-Roman) and two graph indices of interest in chemical graph theory (Sombor index, generalized ABC index), as well as hyperspaces of graphs and local inclusive distance vertex irregular graphs

Parameterized Inapproximability of Independent Set in HH-Free Graphs

We study the Independent Set (IS) problem in $H$-free graphs, i.e., graphs excluding some fixed graph $H$ as an induced subgraph. We prove several inapproximability results both for polynomial-time and parameterized algorithms. Halld\'orsson [SODA 1995] showed that for every $\delta>0$ IS has a polynomial-time $(\frac{d-1}{2}+\delta)$-approximation in $K_{1,d}$-free graphs. We extend this result by showing that $K_{a,b}$-free graphs admit a polynomial-time $O(\alpha(G)^{1-1/a})$-approximation, where $\alpha(G)$ is the size of a maximum independent set in $G$. Furthermore, we complement the result of Halld\'orsson by showing that for some $\gamma=\Theta(d/\log d),$ there is no polynomial-time $\gamma$-approximation for these graphs, unless NP = ZPP. Bonnet et al. [IPEC 2018] showed that IS parameterized by the size $k$ of the independent set is W[1]-hard on graphs which do not contain (1) a cycle of constant length at least $4$, (2) the star $K_{1,4}$, and (3) any tree with two vertices of degree at least $3$ at constant distance. We strengthen this result by proving three inapproximability results under different complexity assumptions for almost the same class of graphs (we weaken condition (2) that $G$ does not contain $K_{1,5}$). First, under the ETH, there is no $f(k)\cdot n^{o(k/\log k)}$ algorithm for any computable function $f$. Then, under the deterministic Gap-ETH, there is a constant $\delta>0$ such that no $\delta$-approximation can be computed in $f(k) \cdot n^{O(1)}$ time. Also, under the stronger randomized Gap-ETH there is no such approximation algorithm with runtime $f(k)\cdot n^{o(k)}$. Finally, we consider the parameterization by the excluded graph $H$, and show that under the ETH, IS has no $n^{o(\alpha(H))}$ algorithm in $H$-free graphs and under Gap-ETH there is no $d/k^{o(1)}$-approximation for $K_{1,d}$-free graphs with runtime $f(d,k) n^{O(1)}$.Comment: Preliminary version of the paper in WG 2020 proceeding

Counting Perfect Matchings and the Switch Chain

We examine the problem of exactly or approximately counting all perfect matchings in hereditary classes of nonbipartite graphs. In particular, we consider the switch Markov chain of Diaconis, Graham, and Holmes. We determine the largest hereditary class for which the chain is ergodic, and define a large new hereditary class of graphs for which it is rapidly mixing. We go on to show that the chain has exponential mixing time for a slightly larger class. We also examine the question of ergodicity of the switch chain in an arbitrary graph. Finally, we give exact counting algorithms for three classes

Maximal subgroups of free idempotent generated semigroups over the full linear monoid

We show that the rank r component of the free idempotent generated semigroup of the biordered set of the full linear monoid of n x n matrices over a division ring Q has maximal subgroup isomorphic to the general linear group GL_r(Q), where n and r are positive integers with r < n/3.Comment: 37 pages; Transactions of the American Mathematical Society (to appear). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1009.5683 by other author

Graph parameters and the speed of hereditary properties

In this thesis we study the speed of hereditary properties of graphs and how this defines some of the structure of the properties. We start by characterizing several graph parameters by means of minimal hereditary classes. We then give a global characterization of properties of low speed, before looking at properties with higher speeds starting at the Bell number. We then introduce a new parameter, clique-width, and show that there are an infinite amount of minimal hereditary properties with unbounded clique-width. We then look at the factorial layer in more detail and focus on P7-free bipartite graphs. Finally we discuss word-representable graphs

On discrete surfaces : Enumerative geometry, matrix models and universality classes via topological recursion

The main objects under consideration in this thesis are called maps, a certain class of graphs embedded on surfaces. We approach our study of these objects from different perspectives, namely bijective combinatorics, matrix models and analysis of critical behaviors. Our problems have a powerful relatively recent tool in common, which is the so-called topological recursion introduced by Chekhov, Eynard and Orantin around 2007. Further understanding general properties of this procedure also constitutes a motivation for us. We introduce the notion of fully simple maps, which are maps with non self-intersecting disjoint boundaries. In contrast, maps where such a restriction is not imposed are called ordinary. We study in detail the combinatorial relation between fully simple and ordinary maps with topology of a disk or a cylinder. We show that the generating series of simple disks is given by the functional inversion of the generating series of ordinary disks. We also obtain an elegant formula for cylinders. These relations reproduce the relation between (first and second order) correlation moments and free cumulants established by Collins--Mingo--'Sniady--Speicher in the setting of free probability, and implement the exchange transformation $x leftrightarrow y$ on the spectral curve in the context of topological recursion. These interesting features motivated us to investigate fully simple maps, which turned out to be interesting combinatorial objects by themselves. We then propose a combinatorial interpretation of the still not well understood exchange symplectic transformation of the topological recursion. We provide a matrix model interpretation for fully simple maps, via the formal hermitian matrix model with external field. We also deduce a universal relation between generating series of fully simple maps and of ordinary maps, which involves double monotone Hurwitz numbers. In particular, (ordinary) maps without internal faces -- which are generated by the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble -- and with boundary perimeters $(lambda_1,ldots,lambda_n)$ are strictly monotone double Hurwitz numbers with ramifications $lambda$ above $infty$ and $(2,ldots,2)$ above $0$. Combining with a recent result of Dubrovin--Liu--Yang--Zhang, this implies an ELSV-like formula for these Hurwitz numbers. Later, we consider ordinary maps endowed with a so-called $O(mathsf{n})$ loop model, which is a classical model in statistical physics. We consider a probability measure on these objects, thus providing a notion of randomness, and our goal is to determine which shapes are more likely to occur regarding the nesting properties of the loops decorating the maps. In this context, we call volume the number of vertices of the map and we want to study the limiting objects when the volume becomes arbitrarily large, which can be done by studying the generating series at dominant singularities. An important motivation comes from the conjecture that the geometry of large random maps is universal. We pursue the analysis of nesting statistics in the $O(mathsf{n})$ loop model on random maps of arbitrary topologies in the presence of large and small boundaries, which was initiated for maps with the topology of disks and cylinders by Borot--Bouttier--Duplantier. For this purpose we rely on topological recursion results for the enumeration of maps in the $O(mathsf{n})$ model. We characterize the generating series of maps of genus $g$ with $k$ boundaries and~$k'$ marked points which realize a fixed nesting graph, which is associated to every map endowed with loops and encodes the information regarding non-separating loops, which are the non-contractible ones on the complement of the marked elements. These generating series are amenable to explicit computations in the so-called loop model with bending energy on triangulations, and we characterize their behavior at criticality in the dense and in the dilute phases, which are the two universality classes characteristic of the $O(mathsf{n})$ loop model. We extract interesting qualitative conclusions, e.g., which nesting graphs are more probable to occur. We also argue how this analysis can be generalized to other problems in enumerative geometry satisfying the topological recursion, and apply our method to study the fully simple maps introduced in the first part of the thesis

A String Diagrammatic Axiomatisation of Finite-State Automata

We develop a fully diagrammatic approach to the theory of finite-state automata, based on reinterpreting their usual state-transition graphical representation as a two-dimensional syntax of string diagrams. Moreover, we provide an equational theory that completely axiomatises language equivalence in this new setting. This theory has two notable features. First, the Kleene star is a derived concept, as it can be decomposed into more primitive algebraic blocks. Second, the proposed axiomatisation is finitary -- a result which is provably impossible to obtain for the one-dimensional syntax of regular expressions.Comment: Minor corrections, in particular in the proof of completeness (including the ordering of the steps of Brzozowski's algorithm