Contractors for flows

We answer a question raised by Lov\'asz and B. Szegedy [Contractors and connectors in graph algebras, J. Graph Theory 60:1 (2009)] asking for a contractor for the graph parameter counting the number of B-flows of a graph, where B is a subset of a finite Abelian group closed under inverses. We prove our main result using the duality between flows and tensions and finite Fourier analysis. We exhibit several examples of contractors for B-flows, which are of interest in relation to the family of B-flow conjectures formulated by Tutte, Fulkerson, Jaeger, and others.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figur

Generalized quasirandom graphs

AbstractWe prove that if a sequence of graphs has (asymptotically) the same distribution of small subgraphs as a generalized random graph modeled on a fixed weighted graph H, then these graphs have a structure that is asymptotically the same as the structure of H. Furthermore, it suffices to require this for a finite number of subgraphs, whose number and size is bounded by a function of |V(H)|

On the number of B-flows of a graph

We exhibit explicit constructions of contractors for the graph parameter counting the number of B-flows of a graph, where B is a subset of a finite Abelian group closed under inverses. These constructions are of great interest because of their relevance to the family of B-flow conjectures formulated by Tutte, Fulkerson, Jaeger, and others.Junta de Andalucía FQM-016

The large deviation principle for the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random graph

What does an Erdos-Renyi graph look like when a rare event happens? This paper answers this question when p is fixed and n tends to infinity by establishing a large deviation principle under an appropriate topology. The formulation and proof of the main result uses the recent development of the theory of graph limits by Lovasz and coauthors and Szemeredi's regularity lemma from graph theory. As a basic application of the general principle, we work out large deviations for the number of triangles in G(n,p). Surprisingly, even this simple example yields an interesting double phase transition.Comment: 24 pages. To appear in European J. Comb. (special issue on graph limits

Estimating and understanding exponential random graph models

We introduce a method for the theoretical analysis of exponential random graph models. The method is based on a large-deviations approximation to the normalizing constant shown to be consistent using theory developed by Chatterjee and Varadhan [European J. Combin. 32 (2011) 1000-1017]. The theory explains a host of difficulties encountered by applied workers: many distinct models have essentially the same MLE, rendering the problems ``practically'' ill-posed. We give the first rigorous proofs of ``degeneracy'' observed in these models. Here, almost all graphs have essentially no edges or are essentially complete. We supplement recent work of Bhamidi, Bresler and Sly [2008 IEEE 49th Annual IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS) (2008) 803-812 IEEE] showing that for many models, the extra sufficient statistics are useless: most realizations look like the results of a simple Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi model. We also find classes of models where the limiting graphs differ from Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi graphs. A limitation of our approach, inherited from the limitation of graph limit theory, is that it works only for dense graphs.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-AOS1155 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Graph limits and exchangeable random graphs

We develop a clear connection between deFinetti's theorem for exchangeable arrays (work of Aldous--Hoover--Kallenberg) and the emerging area of graph limits (work of Lovasz and many coauthors). Along the way, we translate the graph theory into more classical probability.Comment: 26 page

Bounds on the mod 2 homology of random 2-dimensional simplicial complexes

As a first step towards a conjecture of Kahle and Newman, we prove that if $T_n$ is a random $2$-dimensional determinantal hypertree on $n$ vertices, then $$\frac{\dim H_1(T_n,\mathbb{F}_2)}{n^2}$$ converges to zero in probability. Confirming a conjecture of Linial and Peled, we also prove the analogous statement for the $1$-out $2$-complex. Our proof relies on the large deviation principle for the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random graph by Chatterjee and Varadhan