Graph Isomorphism for Bounded Genus Graphs In Linear Time

For every integer $g$, isomorphism of graphs of Euler genus at most $g$ can be decided in linear time. This improves previously known algorithms whose time complexity is $n^{O(g)}$ (shown in early 1980's), and in fact, this is the first fixed-parameter tractable algorithm for the graph isomorphism problem for bounded genus graphs in terms of the Euler genus $g$. Our result also generalizes the seminal result of Hopcroft and Wong in 1974, which says that the graph isomorphism problem can be decided in linear time for planar graphs. Our proof is quite lengthly and complicated, but if we are satisfied with an $O(n^3)$ time algorithm for the same problem, the proof is shorter and easier

MSOL Restricted Contractibility to Planar Graphs

We study the computational complexity of graph planarization via edge contraction. The problem CONTRACT asks whether there exists a set $S$ of at most $k$ edges that when contracted produces a planar graph. We work with a more general problem called $P$-RESTRICTEDCONTRACT in which $S$, in addition, is required to satisfy a fixed MSOL formula $P(S,G)$. We give an FPT algorithm in time $O(n^2 f(k))$ which solves $P$-RESTRICTEDCONTRACT, where $P(S,G)$ is (i) inclusion-closed and (ii) inert contraction-closed (where inert edges are the edges non-incident to any inclusion minimal solution $S$). As a specific example, we can solve the $\ell$-subgraph contractibility problem in which the edges of a set $S$ are required to form disjoint connected subgraphs of size at most $\ell$. This problem can be solved in time $O(n^2 f'(k,\ell))$ using the general algorithm. We also show that for $\ell \ge 2$ the problem is NP-complete

Three-coloring triangle-free graphs on surfaces VII. A linear-time algorithm

We give a linear-time algorithm to decide 3-colorability of a triangle-free graph embedded in a fixed surface, and a quadratic-time algorithm to output a 3-coloring in the affirmative case. The algorithms also allow to prescribe the coloring of a bounded number of vertices.Comment: 22 pages, no figures; updated for reviewer remarks, reworked the final section. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1509.0101

Three-coloring triangle-free graphs on surfaces VI. 3-colorability of quadrangulations

We give a linear-time algorithm to decide 3-colorability (and find a 3-coloring, if it exists) of quadrangulations of a fixed surface. The algorithm also allows to prescribe the coloring for a bounded number of vertices.Comment: 32 pages, no figures; updated for reviewer comment

The generic minimal rigidity of a partially triangulated torus

A simple graph is $3$-rigid if its generic bar-joint frameworks in $R^3$ are infinitesimally rigid. Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the minimal $3$-rigidity of a simple graph which is obtained from the $1$-skeleton of a triangulated torus by the deletion of edges interior to a triangulated disc.Comment: 31 pages, 37 figure

Spanning closed walks with bounded maximum degrees of graphs on surfaces

Gao and Richter (1994) showed that every $3$-connected graph which embeds on the plane or the projective plane has a spanning closed walk meeting each vertex at most $2$ times. Brunet, Ellingham, Gao, Metzlar, and Richter (1995) extended this result to the torus and Klein bottle. Sanders and Zhao (2001) obtained a sharp result for higher surfaces by proving that every $3$-connected graph embeddable on a surface with Euler characteristic $\chi \le -46$ admits a spanning closed walk meeting each vertex at most $\lceil \frac{6-2\chi}{3}\rceil$ times. In this paper, we develop these results to the remaining surfaces with Euler characteristic $\chi \le 0$

Treewidth of grid subsets

Let Q_n be the graph of n times n times n cube with all non-decreasing diagonals (including the facial ones) in its constituent unit cubes. Suppose that a subset S of V(Q_n) separates the left side of the cube from the right side. We show that S induces a subgraph of tree-width at least n/sqrt{18}-1. We use a generalization of this claim to prove that the vertex set of Q_n cannot be partitioned to two parts, each of them inducing a subgraph of bounded tree-width.Comment: 15 pages, no figure

Nerves, minors, and piercing numbers

We make the first step towards a "nerve theorem" for graphs. Let $G$ be a simple graph and let $\mathcal{F}$ be a family of induced subgraphs of $G$ such that the intersection of any members of $\mathcal{F}$ is either empty or connected. We show that if the nerve complex of $\mathcal{F}$ has non-vanishing homology in dimension three, then $G$ contains the complete graph on five vertices as a minor. As a consequence we confirm a conjecture of Goaoc concerning an extension of the planar $(p,q)$ theorem due to Alon and Kleitman: Let $\mathcal{F}$ be a finite family of open connected sets in the plane such that the intersection of any members of $\mathcal{F}$ is either empty or connected. If among any $p \geq 3$ members of $\mathcal{F}$ there are some three that intersect, then there is a set of $C$ points which intersects every member of $\mathcal{F}$, where $C$ is a constant depending only on $p$

The Kuenneth formula for graphs

We construct a Cartesian product G x H for finite simple graphs. It satisfies the Kuenneth formula: H^k(G x H) is a direct sum of tensor products H^i(G) x H^j(G) with i+j=k and so p(G x H,x) = p(G,x) p(H,y) for the Poincare polynomial p(G,x) and X(G x H) = X(G) X(H) for the Euler characteristic X(G)=p(G,-1). G1=G x K1 has as vertices the simplices of G and a natural digraph structure. We show that dim(G1) is larger or equal than dim(G) and G1 is homotopic to G. The Kuenneth identity is proven using Hodge describing the harmonic forms by the product f g of harmonic forms of G and H and uses a discrete de Rham theorem given by a combinatorial chain homotopy between simplicial and de Rham cohomology. We show dim(G x H) = dim(G1) + dim(H1) implying that dim(G x H) is larger or equal than dim(G) + dim(H) as for Hausdorff dimension in the continuum. The chromatic number c(G1) is smaller or equal than c(G) and c(G x H) is bounded above by c(G)+c(H)-1. The automorphism group of G x H contains Aut(G) x Aut(H). If G~H and U~V then (G x U) ~ (H x V) if ~ means homotopic: homotopy classes can be multiplided. If G is k-dimensional geometric meaning that all unit spheres S(x) in G are (k-1)-discrete homotopy spheres, then G1 is k-dimensional geometric. If G is k-dimensional geometric and H is l-dimensional geometric, then G x H is geometric of dimension (l+k). The product extends to a ring of chains which unlike the category of graphs is closed under boundary operation taking quotients G/A with A subset Aut(G). As we can glue graphs or chains, joins or fibre bundles can be defined with the same features as in the continuum, allowing to build isomorphism classes of bundles.Comment: 60 pages 56 figure

Coloring graphs using topology

Higher dimensional graphs can be used to colour two-dimensional geometric graphs. If G the boundary of a three dimensional graph H for example, we can refine the interior until it is colourable with 4 colours. The later goal is achieved if all interior edge degrees are even. Using a refinement process which cuts the interior along surfaces we can adapt the degrees along the boundary of that surface. More efficient is a self-cobordism of G with itself with a host graph discretizing the product of G with an interval. It follows from the fact that Euler curvature is zero everywhere for three dimensional geometric graphs, that the odd degree edge set O is a cycle and so a boundary if H is simply connected. A reduction to minimal colouring would imply the four colour theorem. The method is expected to give a reason "why 4 colours suffice" and suggests that every two dimensional geometric graph of arbitrary degree and orientation can be coloured by 5 colours: since the projective plane can not be a boundary of a 3-dimensional graph and because for higher genus surfaces, the interior H is not simply connected, we need in general to embed a surface into a 4-dimensional simply connected graph in order to colour it. This explains the appearance of the chromatic number 5 for higher degree or non-orientable situations, a number we believe to be the upper limit. For every surface type, we construct examples with chromatic number 3,4 or 5, where the construction of surfaces with chromatic number 5 is based on a method of Fisk. We have implemented and illustrated all the topological aspects described in this paper on a computer. So far we still need human guidance or simulated annealing to do the refinements in the higher dimensional host graph.Comment: 81 pages, 48 figure