On the ff-matching polytope and the fractional ff-chromatic index

Our motivation is the question of how similar the $f$-colouring problem is to the classic edge-colouring problem, particularly with regard to graph parameters. In 2010, Zhang, Yu, and Liu gave a new description of the $f$-matching polytope and derived a formula for the fractional $f$-chromatic index, stating that the fractional $f$-chromatic index equals the maximum of the fractional maximum $f$-degree and the fractional $f$-density. Unfortunately, this formula is incorrect. We present counterexamples for both the description of the $f$-matching polytope and the formula for the fractional $f$-chromatic index. Finally, we prove a short lemma concerning the generalization of Goldberg's conjecture

Integer round-up property for the chromatic number of some h-perfect graphs

A graph is h-perfect if its stable set polytope can be completely described by non-negativity, clique and odd-hole constraints. It is t-perfect if it furthermore has no clique of size 4. For every graph $G$ and every $c\in\mathbb{Z}_{+}^{V(G)}$, the weighted chromatic number of $(G,c)$ is the minimum cardinality of a multi-set $\mathcal{F}$ of stable sets of $G$ such that every $v\in V(G)$ belongs to at least $c_v$ members of $\mathcal{F}$. We prove that every h-perfect line-graph and every t-perfect claw-free graph $G$ has the integer round-up property for the chromatic number: for every non-negative integer weight $c$ on the vertices of $G$, the weighted chromatic number of $(G,c)$ can be obtained by rounding up its fractional relaxation. In other words, the stable set polytope of $G$ has the integer decomposition property. Our results imply the existence of a polynomial-time algorithm which computes the weighted chromatic number of t-perfect claw-free graphs and h-perfect line-graphs. Finally, they yield a new case of a conjecture of Goldberg and Seymour on edge-colorings.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figure

Matching polytons

Hladky, Hu, and Piguet [Tilings in graphons, preprint] introduced the notions of matching and fractional vertex covers in graphons. These are counterparts to the corresponding notions in finite graphs. Combinatorial optimization studies the structure of the matching polytope and the fractional vertex cover polytope of a graph. Here, in analogy, we initiate the study of the structure of the set of all matchings and of all fractional vertex covers in a graphon. We call these sets the matching polyton and the fractional vertex cover polyton. We also study properties of matching polytons and fractional vertex cover polytons along convergent sequences of graphons. As an auxiliary tool of independent interest, we prove that a graphon is $r$-partite if and only if it contains no graph of chromatic number $r+1$. This in turn gives a characterization of bipartite graphons as those having a symmetric spectrum.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figures; more background on graphons and analysis, a new section on spectra of bipartite graphons, numerous corrections based on suggestion by an anonymous refere

Independent sets, cliques, and colorings in graphons

We study graphon counterparts of the chromatic and the clique number, the fractional chromatic number, the b-chromatic number, and the fractional clique number. We establish some basic properties of the independence set polytope in the graphon setting, and duality properties between the fractional chromatic number and the fractional clique number. We present a notion of perfect graphons and characterize them in terms of induced densities of odd cycles and its complements.Comment: 18 pages, accepted to European Journal of Combinatorics (special issue Eurocomb 2017

Ear-decompositions and the complexity of the matching polytope

The complexity of the matching polytope of graphs may be measured with the maximum length $\beta$ of a starting sequence of odd ears in an ear-decomposition. Indeed, a theorem of Edmonds and Pulleyblank shows that its facets are defined by 2-connected factor-critical graphs, which have an odd ear-decomposition (according to a theorem of Lov\'asz). In particular, $\beta(G) \leq 1$ if and only if the matching polytope of the graph $G$ is completely described by non-negativity, star and odd-circuit inequalities. This is essentially equivalent to the h-perfection of the line-graph of $G$, as observed by Cao and Nemhauser. The complexity of computing $\beta$ is apparently not known. We show that deciding whether $\beta(G)\leq 1$ can be executed efficiently by looking at any ear-decomposition starting with an odd circuit and performing basic modulo-2 computations. Such a greedy-approach is surprising in view of the complexity of the problem in more special cases by Bruhn and Schaudt, and it is simpler than using the Parity Minor Algorithm. Our results imply a simple polynomial-time algorithm testing h-perfection in line-graphs (deciding h-perfection is open in general). We also generalize our approach to binary matroids and show that computing $\beta$ is a Fixed-Parameter-Tractable problem (FPT)

Asymptotics of the chromatic number for quasi-line graphs

As proved by Kahn, the chromatic number and fractional chromatic number of a line graph agree asymptotically. That is, for any line graph $G$ we have $\chi(G) \leq (1+o(1))\chi_f(G)$. We extend this result to quasi-line graphs, an important subclass of claw-free graphs. Furthermore we prove that we can construct a colouring that achieves this bound in polynomial time, giving us an asymptotic approximation algorithm for the chromatic number of quasi-line graphs.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure

Fractional matching preclusion number of graphs

Let $G$ be a graph with an even number of vertices. The matching preclusion number of $G$, denoted by $mp(G)$, is the minimum number of edges whose deletion leaves the resulting graph without a perfect matching. We introduced a $0$-$1$ linear programming which can be used to find matching preclusion number of graphs. In this paper, by relaxing of the $0$-$1$ linear programming we obtain a linear programming and call its optimal objective value as fractional matching preclusion number of graph $G$, denoted by $mp_f(G)$. We show $mp_f(G)$ can be computed in polynomial time for any graph $G$. By using perfect matching polytope, we transform it as a new linear programming whose optimal value equals the reciprocal of $mp_f(G)$. For bipartite graph $G$, we obtain an explicit formula for $mp_f(G)$ and show that $\lfloor mp_f(G) \rfloor$ is the maximum integer $k$ such that $G$ has a $k$-factor. Moreover, for any two bipartite graphs $G$ and $H$, we show $mp_f(G \square H) \geqslant mp_f(G)+\lfloor mp_f(H) \rfloor$, where $G \square H$ is the Cartesian product of $G$ and $H$.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur

Performance Guarantees of Distributed Algorithms for QoS in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Consider a wireless network where each communication link has a minimum bandwidth quality-of-service requirement. Certain pairs of wireless links interfere with each other due to being in the same vicinity, and this interference is modeled by a conflict graph. Given the conflict graph and link bandwidth requirements, the objective is to determine, using only localized information, whether the demands of all the links can be satisfied. At one extreme, each node knows the demands of only its neighbors; at the other extreme, there exists an optimal, centralized scheduler that has global information. The present work interpolates between these two extremes by quantifying the tradeoff between the degree of decentralization and the performance of the distributed algorithm. This open problem is resolved for the primary interference model, and the following general result is obtained: if each node knows the demands of all links in a ball of radius $d$ centered at the node, then there is a distributed algorithm whose performance is away from that of an optimal, centralized algorithm by a factor of at most $(2d+3)/(2d+2)$. The tradeoff between performance and complexity of the distributed algorithm is also analyzed. It is shown that for line networks under the protocol interference model, the row constraints are a factor of at most $3$ away from optimal. Both bounds are best possible

List Colouring Squares of Planar Graphs

In 1977, Wegner conjectured that the chromatic number of the square of every planar graph $G$ with maximum degree $\Delta\ge8$ is at most $\bigl\lfloor\frac32\Delta\bigr\rfloor+1$. We show that it is at most $\frac32 \Delta (1+o(1))$ (where the $o(1)$ is as $\Delta\to+\infty$), and indeed that this is true for the list chromatic number and for more general classes of graphs.Comment: 34 page

Analysis of Sparse Cutting-planes for Sparse MILPs with Applications to Stochastic MILPs

In this paper, we present an analysis of the strength of sparse cutting-planes for mixed integer linear programs (MILP) with sparse formulations. We examine three kinds of problems: packing problems, covering problems, and more general MILPs with the only assumption that the objective function is non-negative. Given a MILP instance of one of these three types, assume that we decide on the support of cutting-planes to be used and the strongest inequalities on these supports are added to the linear programming relaxation. Call the optimal objective function value of the linear programming relaxation together with these cuts as $z^{cut}$. We present bounds on the ratio of $z^{cut}$ and the optimal objective function value of the MILP that depends only on the sparsity structure of the constraint matrix and the support of sparse cuts selected, that is, these bounds are completely data independent. These results also shed light on the strength of scenario-specific cuts for two stage stochastic MILPs