On the number of k-dominating independent sets

We study the existence and the number of $k$-dominating independent sets in certain graph families. While the case $k=1$ namely the case of maximal independent sets - which is originated from Erd\H{o}s and Moser - is widely investigated, much less is known in general. In this paper we settle the question for trees and prove that the maximum number of $k$-dominating independent sets in $n$-vertex graphs is between $c_k\cdot\sqrt[2k]{2}^n$ and $c_k'\cdot\sqrt[k+1]{2}^n$ if $k\geq 2$, moreover the maximum number of $2$-dominating independent sets in $n$-vertex graphs is between $c\cdot 1.22^n$ and $c'\cdot1.246^n$. Graph constructions containing a large number of $k$-dominating independent sets are coming from product graphs, complete bipartite graphs and with finite geometries. The product graph construction is associated with the number of certain MDS codes.Comment: 13 page

Direction problems in affine spaces

This paper is a survey paper on old and recent results on direction problems in finite dimensional affine spaces over a finite field.Comment: Academy Contact Forum "Galois geometries and applications", October 5, 2012, Brussels, Belgiu

On sizes of complete arcs in PG(2,q)

New upper bounds on the smallest size t_{2}(2,q) of a complete arc in the projective plane PG(2,q) are obtained for 853 <= q <= 4561 and q\in T1\cup T2 where T1={173,181,193,229,243,257,271,277,293,343,373,409,443,449,457, 461,463,467,479,487,491,499,529,563,569,571,577,587,593,599,601,607,613,617,619,631, 641,661,673,677,683,691, 709}, T2={4597,4703,4723,4733,4789,4799,4813,4831,5003,5347,5641,5843,6011,8192}. From these new bounds it follows that for q <= 2593 and q=2693,2753, the relation t_{2}(2,q) < 4.5\sqrt{q} holds. Also, for q <= 4561 we have t_{2}(2,q) < 4.75\sqrt{q}. It is showed that for 23 <= q <= 4561 and q\in T2\cup {2^{14},2^{15},2^{18}}, the inequality t_{2}(2,q) < \sqrt{q}ln^{0.75}q is true. Moreover, the results obtained allow us to conjecture that this estimate holds for all q >= 23. The new upper bounds are obtained by finding new small complete arcs with the help of a computer search using randomized greedy algorithms. Also new constructions of complete arcs are proposed. These constructions form families of k-arcs in PG(2,q) containing arcs of all sizes k in a region k_{min} <= k <= k_{max} where k_{min} is of order q/3 or q/4 while k_{max} has order q/2. The completeness of the arcs obtained by the new constructions is proved for q <= 1367 and 2003 <= q <= 2063. There is reason to suppose that the arcs are complete for all q > 1367. New sizes of complete arcs in PG(2,q) are presented for 169 <= q <= 349 and q=1013,2003.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, 5 table

Semifields, relative difference sets, and bent functions

Recently, the interest in semifields has increased due to the discovery of several new families and progress in the classification problem. Commutative semifields play an important role since they are equivalent to certain planar functions (in the case of odd characteristic) and to modified planar functions in even characteristic. Similarly, commutative semifields are equivalent to relative difference sets. The goal of this survey is to describe the connection between these concepts. Moreover, we shall discuss power mappings that are planar and consider component functions of planar mappings, which may be also viewed as projections of relative difference sets. It turns out that the component functions in the even characteristic case are related to negabent functions as well as to $\mathbb{Z}_4$-valued bent functions.Comment: Survey paper for the RICAM workshop "Emerging applications of finite fields", 09-13 December 2013, Linz, Austria. This article will appear in the proceedings volume for this workshop, published as part of the "Radon Series on Computational and Applied Mathematics" by DeGruyte

On the Number of k-Dominating Independent Sets

We study the existence and the number of k-dominating independent sets in certain graph families. While the case k=1 namely the case of maximal independent sets-which is originated from Erdos and Moser-is widely investigated, much less is known in general. In this paper we settle the question for trees and prove that the maximum number of k-dominating independent sets in n-vertex graphs is between ck·22kn and ck'·2k+1n if k≥2, moreover the maximum number of 2-dominating independent sets in n-vertex graphs is between c·1.22n and c'·1.246n. Graph constructions containing a large number of k-dominating independent sets are coming from product graphs, complete bipartite graphs, and finite geometries. The product graph construction is associated with the number of certain Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) codes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Blocking sets of the Hermitian unital

It is known that the classical unital arising from the Hermitian curve in PG(2,9) does not have a 2-coloring without monochromatic lines. Here we show that for q≥4 the Hermitian curve in PG(2,q2) does possess 2-colorings without monochromatic lines. We present general constructions and also prove a lower bound on the size of blocking sets in the classical unital