Odd circuits in dense binary matroids

We show that, for each real number $\alpha > 0$ and odd integer $k\ge 5$ there is an integer $c$ such that, if $M$ is a simple binary matroid with $|M| \ge \alpha 2^{r(M)}$ and with no $k$-element circuit, then $M$ has critical number at most $c$. The result is an easy application of a regularity lemma for finite abelian groups due to Green

Cycles with consecutive odd lengths

It is proved that there exists an absolute constant c > 0 such that for every natural number k, every non-bipartite 2-connected graph with average degree at least ck contains k cycles with consecutive odd lengths. This implies the existence of the absolute constant d > 0 that every non-bipartite 2-connected graph with minimum degree at least dk contains cycles of all lengths modulo k, thus providing an answer (in a strong form) to a question of Thomassen. Both results are sharp up to the constant factors.Comment: 7 page

Dense H-free graphs are almost (Χ(H)-1)-partite

By using the Szemeredi Regularity Lemma, Alon and Sudakov recently extended the classical Andrasfai-Erdos-Sos theorem to cover general graphs. We prove, without using the Regularity Lemma, that the following stronger statement is true. Given any (r+1)-partite graph H whose smallest part has t vertices, there exists a constant C such that for any given ε>0 and sufficiently large n the following is true. Whenever G is an n-vertex graph with minimum degree δ(G)≥(1 − 3/3r−1 + ε)n, either G contains H, or we can delete f(n,H)≤Cn2−1/t edges from G to obtain an r-partite graph. Further, we are able to determine the correct order of magnitude of f(n,H) in terms of the Zarankiewicz extremal function

Bipartite induced density in triangle-free graphs

We prove that any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices with minimum degree at least $d$ contains a bipartite induced subgraph of minimum degree at least $d^2/(2n)$. This is sharp up to a logarithmic factor in $n$. Relatedly, we show that the fractional chromatic number of any such triangle-free graph is at most the minimum of $n/d$ and $(2+o(1))\sqrt{n/\log n}$ as $n\to\infty$. This is sharp up to constant factors. Similarly, we show that the list chromatic number of any such triangle-free graph is at most $O(\min\{\sqrt{n},(n\log n)/d\})$ as $n\to\infty$. Relatedly, we also make two conjectures. First, any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices has fractional chromatic number at most $(\sqrt{2}+o(1))\sqrt{n/\log n}$ as $n\to\infty$. Second, any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices has list chromatic number at most $O(\sqrt{n/\log n})$ as $n\to\infty$.Comment: 20 pages; in v2 added note of concurrent work and one reference; in v3 added more notes of ensuing work and a result towards one of the conjectures (for list colouring