Graphs with few Hamiltonian Cycles

We describe an algorithm for the exhaustive generation of non-isomorphic graphs with a given number $k \ge 0$ of hamiltonian cycles, which is especially efficient for small $k$. Our main findings, combining applications of this algorithm and existing algorithms with new theoretical results, revolve around graphs containing exactly one hamiltonian cycle (1H) or exactly three hamiltonian cycles (3H). Motivated by a classic result of Smith and recent work of Royle, we show that there exist nearly cubic 1H graphs of order $n$ iff $n \ge 18$ is even. This gives the strongest form of a theorem of Entringer and Swart, and sheds light on a question of Fleischner originally settled by Seamone. We prove equivalent formulations of the conjecture of Bondy and Jackson that every planar 1H graph contains two vertices of degree 2, verify it up to order 16, and show that its toric analogue does not hold. We treat Thomassen's conjecture that every hamiltonian graph of minimum degree at least $3$ contains an edge such that both its removal and its contraction yield hamiltonian graphs. We also verify up to order 21 the conjecture of Sheehan that there is no 4-regular 1H graph. Extending work of Schwenk, we describe all orders for which cubic 3H triangle-free graphs exist. We verify up to order $48$ Cantoni's conjecture that every planar cubic 3H graph contains a triangle, and show that there exist infinitely many planar cyclically 4-edge-connected cubic graphs with exactly four hamiltonian cycles, thereby answering a question of Chia and Thomassen. Finally, complementing work of Sheehan on 1H graphs of maximum size, we determine the maximum size of graphs containing exactly one hamiltonian path and give, for every order $n$, the exact number of such graphs on $n$ vertices and of maximum size.Comment: 29 pages; to appear in Mathematics of Computatio

Hamilton cycles in almost distance-hereditary graphs

Let $G$ be a graph on $n\geq 3$ vertices. A graph $G$ is almost distance-hereditary if each connected induced subgraph $H$ of $G$ has the property $d_{H}(x,y)\leq d_{G}(x,y)+1$ for any pair of vertices $x,y\in V(H)$. A graph $G$ is called 1-heavy (2-heavy) if at least one (two) of the end vertices of each induced subgraph of $G$ isomorphic to $K_{1,3}$ (a claw) has (have) degree at least $n/2$, and called claw-heavy if each claw of $G$ has a pair of end vertices with degree sum at least $n$. Thus every 2-heavy graph is claw-heavy. In this paper we prove the following two results: (1) Every 2-connected, claw-heavy and almost distance-hereditary graph is Hamiltonian. (2) Every 3-connected, 1-heavy and almost distance-hereditary graph is Hamiltonian. In particular, the first result improves a previous theorem of Feng and Guo. Both results are sharp in some sense.Comment: 14 pages; 1 figure; a new theorem is adde

Ore- and Fan-type heavy subgraphs for Hamiltonicity of 2-connected graphs

Bedrossian characterized all pairs of forbidden subgraphs for a 2-connected graph to be Hamiltonian. Instead of forbidding some induced subgraphs, we relax the conditions for graphs to be Hamiltonian by restricting Ore- and Fan-type degree conditions on these induced subgraphs. Let $G$ be a graph on $n$ vertices and $H$ be an induced subgraph of $G$. $H$ is called \emph{o}-heavy if there are two nonadjacent vertices in $H$ with degree sum at least $n$, and is called $f$-heavy if for every two vertices $u,v\in V(H)$, $d_{H}(u,v)=2$ implies that $\max\{d(u),d(v)\}\geq n/2$. We say that $G$ is $H$-\emph{o}-heavy ($H$-\emph{f}-heavy) if every induced subgraph of $G$ isomorphic to $H$ is \emph{o}-heavy (\emph{f}-heavy). In this paper we characterize all connected graphs $R$ and $S$ other than $P_3$ such that every 2-connected $R$-\emph{f}-heavy and $S$-\emph{f}-heavy ($R$-\emph{o}-heavy and $S$-\emph{f}-heavy, $R$-\emph{f}-heavy and $S$-free) graph is Hamiltonian. Our results extend several previous theorems on forbidden subgraph conditions and heavy subgraph conditions for Hamiltonicity of 2-connected graphs.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure

Recognizing Graph Theoretic Properties with Polynomial Ideals

Many hard combinatorial problems can be modeled by a system of polynomial equations. N. Alon coined the term polynomial method to describe the use of nonlinear polynomials when solving combinatorial problems. We continue the exploration of the polynomial method and show how the algorithmic theory of polynomial ideals can be used to detect k-colorability, unique Hamiltonicity, and automorphism rigidity of graphs. Our techniques are diverse and involve Nullstellensatz certificates, linear algebra over finite fields, Groebner bases, toric algebra, convex programming, and real algebraic geometry.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

On random k-out sub-graphs of large graphs

We consider random sub-graphs of a fixed graph $G=(V,E)$ with large minimum degree. We fix a positive integer $k$ and let $G_k$ be the random sub-graph where each $v\in V$ independently chooses $k$ random neighbors, making $kn$ edges in all. When the minimum degree $\delta(G)\geq (\frac12+\epsilon)n,\,n=|V|$ then $G_k$ is $k$-connected w.h.p. for $k=O(1)$; Hamiltonian for $k$ sufficiently large. When $\delta(G) \geq m$, then $G_k$ has a cycle of length $(1-\epsilon)m$ for $k\geq k_\epsilon$. By w.h.p. we mean that the probability of non-occurrence can be bounded by a function $\phi(n)$ (or $\phi(m)$) where $\lim_{n\to\infty}\phi(n)=0$

Heavy subgraphs, stability and hamiltonicity

Let $G$ be a graph. Adopting the terminology of Broersma et al. and \v{C}ada, respectively, we say that $G$ is 2-heavy if every induced claw ($K_{1,3}$) of $G$ contains two end-vertices each one has degree at least $|V(G)|/2$; and $G$ is o-heavy if every induced claw of $G$ contains two end-vertices with degree sum at least $|V(G)|$ in $G$. In this paper, we introduce a new concept, and say that $G$ is \emph{$S$-c-heavy} if for a given graph $S$ and every induced subgraph $G'$ of $G$ isomorphic to $S$ and every maximal clique $C$ of $G'$, every non-trivial component of $G'-C$ contains a vertex of degree at least $|V(G)|/2$ in $G$. In terms of this concept, our original motivation that a theorem of Hu in 1999 can be stated as every 2-connected 2-heavy and $N$-c-heavy graph is hamiltonian, where $N$ is the graph obtained from a triangle by adding three disjoint pendant edges. In this paper, we will characterize all connected graphs $S$ such that every 2-connected o-heavy and $S$-c-heavy graph is hamiltonian. Our work results in a different proof of a stronger version of Hu's theorem. Furthermore, our main result improves or extends several previous results.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, finial version for publication in Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theor