Decomposing Cubic Graphs into Connected Subgraphs of Size Three

Let $S=\{K_{1,3},K_3,P_4\}$ be the set of connected graphs of size 3. We study the problem of partitioning the edge set of a graph $G$ into graphs taken from any non-empty $S'\subseteq S$. The problem is known to be NP-complete for any possible choice of $S'$ in general graphs. In this paper, we assume that the input graph is cubic, and study the computational complexity of the problem of partitioning its edge set for any choice of $S'$. We identify all polynomial and NP-complete problems in that setting, and give graph-theoretic characterisations of $S'$-decomposable cubic graphs in some cases.Comment: to appear in the proceedings of COCOON 201

Partitioning edge-coloured complete graphs into monochromatic cycles and paths

A conjecture of Erd\H{o}s, Gy\'arf\'as, and Pyber says that in any edge-colouring of a complete graph with r colours, it is possible to cover all the vertices with r vertex-disjoint monochromatic cycles. So far, this conjecture has been proven only for r = 2. In this paper we show that in fact this conjecture is false for all r > 2. In contrast to this, we show that in any edge-colouring of a complete graph with three colours, it is possible to cover all the vertices with three vertex-disjoint monochromatic paths, proving a particular case of a conjecture due to Gy\'arf\'as. As an intermediate result we show that in any edge-colouring of the complete graph with the colours red and blue, it is possible to cover all the vertices with a red path, and a disjoint blue balanced complete bipartite graph.Comment: 25 pages, 3 figure

Local colourings and monochromatic partitions in complete bipartite graphs

We show that for any $2$-local colouring of the edges of the balanced complete bipartite graph $K_{n,n}$, its vertices can be covered with at most~$3$ disjoint monochromatic paths. And, we can cover almost all vertices of any complete or balanced complete bipartite $r$-locally coloured graph with $O(r^2)$ disjoint monochromatic cycles.\\ We also determine the $2$-local bipartite Ramsey number of a path almost exactly: Every $2$-local colouring of the edges of $K_{n,n}$ contains a monochromatic path on $n$ vertices.Comment: 18 page

Graph ambiguity

In this paper, we propose a rigorous way to define the concept of ambiguity in the domain of graphs. In past studies, the classical definition of ambiguity has been derived starting from fuzzy set and fuzzy information theories. Our aim is to show that also in the domain of the graphs it is possible to derive a formulation able to capture the same semantic and mathematical concept. To strengthen the theoretical results, we discuss the application of the graph ambiguity concept to the graph classification setting, conceiving a new kind of inexact graph matching procedure. The results prove that the graph ambiguity concept is a characterizing and discriminative property of graphs. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Vertex covers by monochromatic pieces - A survey of results and problems

This survey is devoted to problems and results concerning covering the vertices of edge colored graphs or hypergraphs with monochromatic paths, cycles and other objects. It is an expanded version of the talk with the same title at the Seventh Cracow Conference on Graph Theory, held in Rytro in September 14-19, 2014.Comment: Discrete Mathematics, 201

Cohen-Macaulay graphs and face vectors of flag complexes

We introduce a construction on a flag complex that, by means of modifying the associated graph, generates a new flag complex whose $h$-factor is the face vector of the original complex. This construction yields a vertex-decomposable, hence Cohen-Macaulay, complex. From this we get a (non-numerical) characterisation of the face vectors of flag complexes and deduce also that the face vector of a flag complex is the $h$-vector of some vertex-decomposable flag complex. We conjecture that the converse of the latter is true and prove this, by means of an explicit construction, for $h$-vectors of Cohen-Macaulay flag complexes arising from bipartite graphs. We also give several new characterisations of bipartite graphs with Cohen-Macaulay or Buchsbaum independence complexes.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures; major updat

Monochromatic cycle partitions in local edge colourings

An edge colouring of a graph is said to be an $r$-local colouring if the edges incident to any vertex are coloured with at most $r$ colours. Generalising a result of Bessy and Thomass\'e, we prove that the vertex set of any $2$-locally coloured complete graph may be partitioned into two disjoint monochromatic cycles of different colours. Moreover, for any natural number $r$, we show that the vertex set of any $r$-locally coloured complete graph may be partitioned into $O(r^2 \log r)$ disjoint monochromatic cycles. This generalises a result of Erd\H{o}s, Gy\'arf\'as and Pyber.Comment: 10 page