Large induced subgraphs via triangulations and CMSO

We obtain an algorithmic meta-theorem for the following optimization problem. Let \phi\ be a Counting Monadic Second Order Logic (CMSO) formula and t be an integer. For a given graph G, the task is to maximize |X| subject to the following: there is a set of vertices F of G, containing X, such that the subgraph G[F] induced by F is of treewidth at most t, and structure (G[F],X) models \phi. Some special cases of this optimization problem are the following generic examples. Each of these cases contains various problems as a special subcase: 1) "Maximum induced subgraph with at most l copies of cycles of length 0 modulo m", where for fixed nonnegative integers m and l, the task is to find a maximum induced subgraph of a given graph with at most l vertex-disjoint cycles of length 0 modulo m. 2) "Minimum \Gamma-deletion", where for a fixed finite set of graphs \Gamma\ containing a planar graph, the task is to find a maximum induced subgraph of a given graph containing no graph from \Gamma\ as a minor. 3) "Independent \Pi-packing", where for a fixed finite set of connected graphs \Pi, the task is to find an induced subgraph G[F] of a given graph G with the maximum number of connected components, such that each connected component of G[F] is isomorphic to some graph from \Pi. We give an algorithm solving the optimization problem on an n-vertex graph G in time O(#pmc n^{t+4} f(t,\phi)), where #pmc is the number of all potential maximal cliques in G and f is a function depending of t and \phi\ only. We also show how a similar running time can be obtained for the weighted version of the problem. Pipelined with known bounds on the number of potential maximal cliques, we deduce that our optimization problem can be solved in time O(1.7347^n) for arbitrary graphs, and in polynomial time for graph classes with polynomial number of minimal separators

On the structure of (pan, even hole)-free graphs

A hole is a chordless cycle with at least four vertices. A pan is a graph which consists of a hole and a single vertex with precisely one neighbor on the hole. An even hole is a hole with an even number of vertices. We prove that a (pan, even hole)-free graph can be decomposed by clique cutsets into essentially unit circular-arc graphs. This structure theorem is the basis of our $O(nm)$-time certifying algorithm for recognizing (pan, even hole)-free graphs and for our $O(n^{2.5}+nm)$-time algorithm to optimally color them. Using this structure theorem, we show that the tree-width of a (pan, even hole)-free graph is at most 1.5 times the clique number minus 1, and thus the chromatic number is at most 1.5 times the clique number.Comment: Accepted to appear in the Journal of Graph Theor

Combinatorial Problems on HH-graphs

Bir\'{o}, Hujter, and Tuza introduced the concept of $H$-graphs (1992), intersection graphs of connected subgraphs of a subdivision of a graph $H$. They naturally generalize many important classes of graphs, e.g., interval graphs and circular-arc graphs. We continue the study of these graph classes by considering coloring, clique, and isomorphism problems on $H$-graphs. We show that for any fixed $H$ containing a certain 3-node, 6-edge multigraph as a minor that the clique problem is APX-hard on $H$-graphs and the isomorphism problem is isomorphism-complete. We also provide positive results on $H$-graphs. Namely, when $H$ is a cactus the clique problem can be solved in polynomial time. Also, when a graph $G$ has a Helly $H$-representation, the clique problem can be solved in polynomial time. Finally, we observe that one can use treewidth techniques to show that both the $k$-clique and list $k$-coloring problems are FPT on $H$-graphs. These FPT results apply more generally to treewidth-bounded graph classes where treewidth is bounded by a function of the clique number

Efficient and Perfect domination on circular-arc graphs

Given a graph $G = (V,E)$, a \emph{perfect dominating set} is a subset of vertices $V' \subseteq V(G)$ such that each vertex $v \in V(G)\setminus V'$ is dominated by exactly one vertex $v' \in V'$. An \emph{efficient dominating set} is a perfect dominating set $V'$ where $V'$ is also an independent set. These problems are usually posed in terms of edges instead of vertices. Both problems, either for the vertex or edge variant, remains NP-Hard, even when restricted to certain graphs families. We study both variants of the problems for the circular-arc graphs, and show efficient algorithms for all of them

Solving MaxSAT and #SAT on structured CNF formulas

In this paper we propose a structural parameter of CNF formulas and use it to identify instances of weighted MaxSAT and #SAT that can be solved in polynomial time. Given a CNF formula we say that a set of clauses is precisely satisfiable if there is some complete assignment satisfying these clauses only. Let the ps-value of the formula be the number of precisely satisfiable sets of clauses. Applying the notion of branch decompositions to CNF formulas and using ps-value as cut function, we define the ps-width of a formula. For a formula given with a decomposition of polynomial ps-width we show dynamic programming algorithms solving weighted MaxSAT and #SAT in polynomial time. Combining with results of 'Belmonte and Vatshelle, Graph classes with structured neighborhoods and algorithmic applications, Theor. Comput. Sci. 511: 54-65 (2013)' we get polynomial-time algorithms solving weighted MaxSAT and #SAT for some classes of structured CNF formulas. For example, we get $O(m^2(m + n)s)$ algorithms for formulas $F$ of $m$ clauses and $n$ variables and size $s$, if $F$ has a linear ordering of the variables and clauses such that for any variable $x$ occurring in clause $C$, if $x$ appears before $C$ then any variable between them also occurs in $C$, and if $C$ appears before $x$ then $x$ occurs also in any clause between them. Note that the class of incidence graphs of such formulas do not have bounded clique-width