Random subtrees of complete graphs

We study the asymptotic behavior of four statistics associated with subtrees of complete graphs: the uniform probability $p_n$ that a random subtree is a spanning tree of $K_n$, the weighted probability $q_n$ (where the probability a subtree is chosen is proportional to the number of edges in the subtree) that a random subtree spans and the two expectations associated with these two probabilities. We find $p_n$ and $q_n$ both approach $e^{-e^{-1}}\approx .692$, while both expectations approach the size of a spanning tree, i.e., a random subtree of $K_n$ has approximately $n-1$ edges

The path minimises the average size of a connected induced subgraph

We prove that among all graphs of order n, the path uniquely minimises the average order of its connected induced subgraphs. This confirms a conjecture of Kroeker, Mol and Oellermann, and generalises a classical result of Jamison for trees, as well as giving a new, shorter proof of the latter. While this paper was being prepared, a different proof was given by Andrew Vince.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Changed title, new figure and minor rewritin

The average order of a subtree of a tree

AbstractLet T be a tree all of whose internal vertices have degree at least three. In 1983 Jamison conjectured in JCT B that the average order of a subtree of T is at least half the order of T. In this paper a proof is provided. In addition, it is proved that the average order of a subtree of T is at most three quarters the order of T. Several open questions are stated

Decreasing the mean subtree order by adding kk edges

The mean subtree order of a given graph $G$, denoted $\mu(G)$, is the average number of vertices in a subtree of $G$. Let $G$ be a connected graph. Chin, Gordon, MacPhee, and Vincent [J. Graph Theory, 89(4): 413-438, 2018] conjectured that if $H$ is a proper spanning supergraph of $G$, then $\mu(H) > \mu(G)$. Cameron and Mol [J. Graph Theory, 96(3): 403-413, 2021] disproved this conjecture by showing that there are infinitely many pairs of graphs $H$ and $G$ with $H\supset G$, $V(H)=V(G)$ and $|E(H)|= |E(G)|+1$ such that $\mu(H) < \mu(G)$. They also conjectured that for every positive integer $k$, there exists a pair of graphs $G$ and $H$ with $H\supset G$, $V(H)=V(G)$ and $|E(H)| = |E(G)| +k$ such that $\mu(H) < \mu(G)$. Furthermore, they proposed that $\mu(K_m+nK_1) < \mu(K_{m, n})$ provided $n\gg m$. In this note, we confirm these two conjectures.Comment: 11 Pages, 5 Figures Paper identical to JGT submissio

On the difference of mean subtree orders under edge contraction

Given a tree $T$ of order $n,$ one can contract any edge and obtain a new tree $T^{*}$ of order $n-1.$ In 1983, Jamison made a conjecture that the mean subtree order, i.e., the average order of all subtrees, decreases at least $\frac{1}{3}$ in contracting an edge of a tree. In 2023, Luo, Xu, Wagner and Wang proved the case when the edge to be contracted is a pendant edge. In this article, we prove that the conjecture is true in general