Claw -free graphs and line graphs

The research of my dissertation is motivated by the conjecture of Thomassen that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian and by the conjecture of Tutte that every 4-edge-connected graph has a no-where-zero 3-flow. Towards the hamiltonian line graph problem, we proved that every 3-connected N2-locally connected claw-free graph is hamiltonian, which was conjectured by Ryjacek in 1990; that every 4-connected line graph of an almost claw free graph is hamiltonian connected, and that every triangularly connected claw-free graph G with |E( G)| ≥ 3 is vertex pancyclic. Towards the second conjecture, we proved that every line graph of a 4-edge-connected graph is Z 3-connected

On flows of graphs

Tutte\u27s 3-flow Conjecture, 4-flow Conjecture, and 5-flow Conjecture are among the most fascinating problems in graph theory. In this dissertation, we mainly focus on the nowhere-zero integer flow of graphs, the circular flow of graphs and the bidirected flow of graphs. We confirm Tutte\u27s 3-flow Conjecture for the family of squares of graphs and the family of triangularly connected graphs. In fact, we obtain much stronger results on this conjecture in terms of group connectivity and get the complete characterization of such graphs in those families which do not admit nowhere-zero 3-flows. For the circular flows of graphs, we establish some sufficient conditions for a graph to have circular flow index less than 4, which generalizes a new known result to a large family of graphs. For the Bidirected Flow Conjecture, we prove it to be true for 6-edge connected graphs

Graph Coloring Problems and Group Connectivity

1. Group connectivity. Let A be an abelian group and let iA(G) be the smallest positive integer m such that Lm(G) is A-connected. A path P of G is a normal divalent path if all internal vertices of P are of degree 2 in G and if |E(P)|= 2, then P is not in a 3-cycle of G. Let l(G) = max{lcub}m : G has a normal divalent path of length m{rcub}. We obtain the following result. (i) If |A| ≥ 4, then iA( G) ≤ l(G). (ii) If | A| ≥ 4, then iA(G) ≤ |V(G)| -- Delta(G). (iii) Suppose that |A| ≥ 4 and d = diam( G). If d ≤ |A| -- 1, then iA(G) ≤ d; and if d ≥ |A|, then iA(G) ≤ 2d -- |A| + 1. (iv) iZ 3 (G) ≤ l(G) + 2. All those bounds are best possible.;2. Modulo orientation. A mod (2p + 1)-orientation D is an orientation of G such that d +D(v) = d--D(v) (mod 2p + 1) for any vertex v ∈ V ( G). We prove that for any integer t ≥ 2, there exists a finite family F = F(p, t) of graphs that do not have a mod (2p + 1)-orientation, such that every graph G with independence number at most t either admits a mod (2p+1)-orientation or is contractible to a member in F. In particular, the graph family F(p, 2) is determined, and our results imply that every 8-edge-connected graph G with independence number at most two admits a mod 5-orientation.;3. Neighbor sum distinguishing total coloring. A proper total k-coloring &phis; of a graph G is a mapping from V(G) ∪ E(G) to {lcub}1,2, . . .,k{rcub} such that no adjacent or incident elements in V(G) ∪ E( G) receive the same color. Let m&phis;( v) denote the sum of the colors on the edges incident with the vertex v and the color on v. A proper total k-coloring of G is called neighbor sum distinguishing if m &phis;(u) ≠ m&phis;( v) for each edge uv ∈ E( G ). Let chitSigma(G) be the neighbor sum distinguishing total chromatic number of a graph G. Pilsniak and Wozniak conjectured that for any graph G, chitSigma( G) ≤ Delta(G) + 3. We show that if G is a graph with treewidth ℓ ≥ 3 and Delta(G) ≥ 2ℓ + 3, then chitSigma( G) + ℓ -- 1. This upper bound confirms the conjecture for graphs with treewidth 3 and 4. Furthermore, when ℓ = 3 and Delta ≥ 9, we show that Delta(G)+1 ≤ chit Sigma(G) ≤ Delta(G)+2 and characterize graphs with equalities.;4. Star edge coloring. A star edge coloring of a graph is a proper edge coloring such that every connected 2-colored subgraph is a path with at most 3 edges. Let ch\u27st(G) be the list star chromatic index of G: the minimum s such that for every s-list assignment L for the edges, G has a star edge coloring from L. By introducing a stronger coloring, we show with a very concise proof that the upper bound of the star chromatic index of trees also holds for list star chromatic index of trees, i.e. ch\u27st( T) ≤ [3Delta/2] for any tree T with maximum degree Delta. And then by applying some orientation technique we present two upper bounds for list star chromatic index of k-degenerate graphs

Cycles, Disjoint Spanning Trees and Orientations of Graphs

A graph G is hamiltonian-connected if any two of its vertices are connected by a Hamilton path (a path including every vertex of G); and G is s-hamiltonian-connected if the deletion of any vertex subset with at most s vertices results in a hamiltonian-connected graph. We prove that the line graph of a (t + 4)-edge-connected graph is (t + 2)-hamiltonian-connected if and only if it is (t + 5)-connected, and for s ≥ 2 every (s + 5)-connected line graph is s-hamiltonian-connected.;For integers l and k with l \u3e 0, and k ≥ 0, Ch( l, k) denotes the collection of h-edge-connected simple graphs G on n vertices such that for every edge-cut X with 2 ≤ |X| ≤ 3, each component of G -- X has at least (n -- k)/l vertices. We prove that for any integer k \u3e 0, there exists an integer N = N( k) such that for any n ≥ N, any graph G ∈ C2(6, k) on n vertices is supereulerian if and only if G cannot be contracted to a member in a well characterized family of graphs.;An orientation of an undirected graph G is a mod (2 p + 1)-orientation if under this orientation, the net out-degree at every vertex is congruence to zero mod 2p + 1. A graph H is mod (2p + 1)-contractible if for any graph G that contains H as a subgraph, the contraction G/H has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation if and only if G has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation (thus every mod (2p + 1)-contractible graph has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation). Jaeger in 1984 conjectured that every (4p)-edge-connected graph has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation. It has also been conjectured that every (4p + 1)-edge-connected graph is mod (2 p + 1)-contractible. We investigate graphs that are mod (2 p + 1)-contractible, and as applications, we prove that a complete graph Km is (2p + 1)-contractible if and only if m ≥ 4p + 1; that every (4p -- 1)-edge-connected K4-minor free graph is mod (2p + 1)-contractible, which is best possible in the sense that there are infinitely many (4p -- 2)-edge-connected K4-minor free graphs that are not mod (2p + 1)-contractible; and that every (4p)-connected chordal graph is mod (2p + 1)-contractible. We also prove that the above conjectures on line graphs would imply the truth of the conjectures in general, and that if G has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation and delta(G) ≥ 4p, then L(G) also has a mod (2p + 1)-orientation.;The design of an n processor network with given number of connections from each processor and with a desirable strength of the network can be modelled as a degree sequence realization problem with certain desirable graphical properties. A nonincreasing sequence d = ( d1, d2, ···, dn) is graphic if there is a simple graph G with degree sequence d. It is proved that for a positive integer k, a graphic nonincreasing sequence d has a simple realization G which has k-edge-disjoint spanning trees if and only if either both n = 1 and d1 = 0, or n ≥ 2 and both dn ≥ k and i=1n di ≥ 2k(n -- 1).;We investigate the emergence of specialized groups in a swarm of robots, using a simplified version of the stick-pulling problem [56], where the basic task requires the collaboration of two robots in asymmetric roles. We expand our analytical model [57] and identify conditions for optimal performance for a swarm with any number of species. We then implement a distributed adaptation algorithm based on autonomous performance evaluation and parameter adjustment of individual agents. While this algorithm reliably reaches optimal performance, it leads to unbounded parameter distributions. Results are improved by the introduction of a direct parameter exchange mechanism between selected high- and low-performing agents. The emerging parameter distributions are bounded and fluctuate between tight unimodal and bimodal profiles. Both the unbounded optimal and the bounded bimodal distributions represent partitions of the swarm into two specialized groups

Nowhere zero flows in line graphs

AbstractCai an Corneil (Discrete Math. 102 (1992) 103–106), proved that if a graph has a cycle double cover, then its line graph also has a cycle double cover, and that the validity of the cycle double cover conjecture on line graphs would imply the truth of the conjecture in general. In this note we investigate the conditions under which a graph G has a nowhere zero k-flow would imply that L(G), the line graph of G, also has a nowhere zero k-flow. The validity of Tutte's flow conjectures on line graphs would also imply the truth of these conjectures in general