Algorithms for the minimum sum coloring problem: a review

The Minimum Sum Coloring Problem (MSCP) is a variant of the well-known vertex coloring problem which has a number of AI related applications. Due to its theoretical and practical relevance, MSCP attracts increasing attention. The only existing review on the problem dates back to 2004 and mainly covers the history of MSCP and theoretical developments on specific graphs. In recent years, the field has witnessed significant progresses on approximation algorithms and practical solution algorithms. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive inspection of the most recent and representative MSCP algorithms. To be informative, we identify the general framework followed by practical solution algorithms and the key ingredients that make them successful. By classifying the main search strategies and putting forward the critical elements of the reviewed methods, we wish to encourage future development of more powerful methods and motivate new applications

Advances in Discrete Applied Mathematics and Graph Theory

The present reprint contains twelve papers published in the Special Issue “Advances in Discrete Applied Mathematics and Graph Theory, 2021” of the MDPI Mathematics journal, which cover a wide range of topics connected to the theory and applications of Graph Theory and Discrete Applied Mathematics. The focus of the majority of papers is on recent advances in graph theory and applications in chemical graph theory. In particular, the topics studied include bipartite and multipartite Ramsey numbers, graph coloring and chromatic numbers, several varieties of domination (Double Roman, Quasi-Total Roman, Total 3-Roman) and two graph indices of interest in chemical graph theory (Sombor index, generalized ABC index), as well as hyperspaces of graphs and local inclusive distance vertex irregular graphs

Online choosability of graphs

We study several problems in graph coloring. In list coloring, each vertex $v$ has a set $L(v)$ of available colors and must be assigned a color from this set so that adjacent vertices receive distinct colors; such a coloring is an $L$-coloring, and we then say that $G$ is $L$-colorable. Given a graph $G$ and a function $f:V(G)\to\N$, we say that $G$ is $f$-choosable if $G$ is $L$-colorable for any list assignment $L$ such that $|L(v)|\ge f(v)$ for all $v\in V(G)$. When $f(v)=k$ for all $v$ and $G$ is $f$-choosable, we say that $G$ is $k$-choosable. The least $k$ such that $G$ is $k$-choosable is the choice number, denoted $\ch(G)$. We focus on an online version of this problem, which is modeled by the Lister/Painter game. The game is played on a graph in which every vertex has a positive number of tokens. In each round, Lister marks a nonempty subset $M$ of uncolored vertices, removing one token at each marked vertex. Painter responds by selecting a subset $D$ of $M$ that forms an independent set in $G$. A color distinct from those used on previous rounds is given to all vertices in $D$. Lister wins by marking a vertex that has no tokens, and Painter wins by coloring all vertices in $G$. When Painter has a winning strategy, we say that $G$ is $f$-paintable. If $f(v)=k$ for all $v$ and $G$ is $f$-paintable, then we say that $G$ is $k$-paintable. The least $k$ such that $G$ is $k$-paintable is the paint number, denoted \pa(G). In Chapter 2, we develop useful tools for studying the Lister/Painter game. We study the paintability of graph joins and of complete bipartite graphs. In particular, \pa(K_{k,r})\le k if and only if $r<k^k$. In Chapter 3, we study the Lister/Painter game with the added restriction that the proper coloring produced by Painter must also satisfy some property $\mathcal{P}$. The main result of Chapter 3 provides a general method to give a winning strategy for Painter when a strategy for the list coloring problem is already known. One example of a property $\mathcal{P}$ is that of having an $r$-dynamic coloring, where a proper coloring is $r$-dynamic if each vertex $v$ has at least $\min\set{r,d(v)}$ distinct colors in its neighborhood. For any graph $G$ and any $r$, we give upper bounds on how many tokens are necessary for Painter to produce an $r$-dynamic coloring of $G$. The upper bounds are in terms of $r$ and the genus of a surface on which $G$ embeds. In Chapter 4, we study a version of the Lister/Painter game in which Painter must assign $m$ colors to each vertex so that adjacent vertices receive disjoint color sets. We characterize the graphs in which $2m$ tokens is sufficient to produce such a coloring. We strengthen Brooks' Theorem as well as Thomassen's result that planar graphs are 5-choosable. In Chapter 5, we study sum-paintability. The sum-paint number of a graph $G$, denoted \spa(G), is the least $\sum f(v)$ over all $f$ such that $G$ is $f$-paintable. We prove the easy upper bound: \spa(G)\le|V(G)|+|E(G)|. When \spa(G)=|V(G)|+|E(G)|, we say that $G$ is sp-greedy. We determine the sum-paintability of generalized theta-graphs. The generalized theta-graph $\Theta_{\ell_1,\dots,\ell_k}$ consists of two vertices joined by $k$ paths of lengths \VEC \ell1k. We conjecture that outerplanar graphs are sp-greedy and prove several partial results toward this conjecture. In Chapter 6, we study what happens when Painter is allowed to allocate tokens as Lister marks vertices. The slow-coloring game is played by Lister and Painter on a graph $G$. Lister marks a nonempty set of uncolored vertices and scores 1 point for each marked vertex. Painter colors all vertices in an independent subset of the marked vertices with a color distinct from those used previously in the game. The game ends when all vertices have been colored. The sum-color cost of a graph $G$, denoted \scc(G), is the maximum score Lister can guarantee in the slow-coloring game on $G$. We prove several general lower and upper bounds for \scc(G). In more detail, we study trees and prove sharp upper and lower bounds over all trees with $n$ vertices. We give a formula to determine \scc(G) exactly when $\alpha(G)\le2$. Separately, we prove that \scc(G)=\spa(G) if and only if $G$ is a disjoint union of cliques. Lastly, we give lower and upper bounds on \scc(K_{r,s})

Coloración en triangulaciones

Some of the most studied problems in Graph Theory are those referring to the coloring of the graph, being one of the most famous the Three Color Problem. A color set D for a graph G is said to be a 3-coloring if adjacent vertex has a different color of D making the graph 3-coloreable. It seems to be obvious to wonder which graphs are 3-coloreable. Nevertheless, the problem of finding sufficient conditions for a graph to be 3-coloreable in a general graph has been shown by L. Stockmayer in 1979 in his book “Planar 3-colorability is polynomial complete" to be NP-complete. That is why different bounds for x(G) are studied and stated for both arbitrary graphs and for those with a particular structure. Nonetheless, the interest in this parameter is not only to establish new bounds, but also once the bounds have been obtained, either upper or bottom, this naturally brings us the question of knowing if there exists any graph which verifies the equality. Throughout these months, the results achieved about the 3-coloring problem for arbitrary graphs have been studied and, specifically, those results referring to the variants of the 3-coloration problem attending to the sum of colors, the distance between vertex or the parity among the apparition of certain color. This research has been performed not only from a combinatorial point of view but also from an algorithmic point of view and has been restricted to a particular kind of graph, known as maximal outerplanar graphs and denoted by its acronym as MOP's, graph of high importance in both the field of chemistry and polygon triangulations. This project has a double purpose: on the one hand, it seeks to collect those results in the literature which have been observed to be more significant in a review paper or sur- vey; on the other hand, it seeks to established tight combinatorial bounds for some variants of the 3-coloration concept for any n-vertex maximal outerplanar graph. Thus, as main contributions, we will prove several new tight combinatorial bounds for the following variants of coloration concept attending to the sum of the colors been used: sum-coloring, as well as the following variants attending to the existence of a rainbow path: rainbow coloring.---ABSTRACT---Algunos de los problemas más estudiados en Teoría de Grafos son aquellos problemas que hacen referencia a la coloración del mismo, siendo uno de los más clásicos el problema de los Tres Colores. Un conjunto D de colores de un grafo G se dice que es una 3-coloración si vértices adyacentes tienen un color distinto de D haciendo el grafo 3-coloreable. Parece entonces obvio preguntarse qué grafos son 3-coloreables. Sin embargo, ya en 1979 L. Stockmayer en su artículo “Planar 3-colorability is polynomial complete" probó que este problema es NP-completo. Es por ello por lo que se estudian y establecen cotas para x(G) para el caso de grafos cualesquiera o para grafos con cierta estructura. Sin embargo, el interés en este parámetro no sólo radica en establecer una cota, sino que una vez obtenida dicha cota, ya sea superior o inferior, quedaría comprobar la existencia de algún grafo que verifique la igualdad. A lo largo de estos meses de trabajo, se han estudiado los resultados obtenidos hasta la fecha en el problema de la 3-coloración de grafos en general y más concretamente sobre aquellas variantes de 3-coloración que atienden a la suma de los colores, la distancia entre vértices o la paridad en la aparición de cierto color. Este estudio se ha llevado a cabo tanto desde el punto de vista combinatorio como algorítmico y se ha restringido a un tipo particular de grafos, conocidos como grafos periplanos maximales y de nominados a partir de ahora por sus siglas en inglés MOP's (maximal outerplanar graphs), grafos de gran importancia tanto en el ámbito de la química como en el de triangulaciones de polígonos. Con este proyecto se persigue un doble objetivo: por un lado, se pretende recopilar aque- llos resultados más significativos de la bibliografía en un artículo de tipo "survey"; por otro, obtener nuevos resultados sobre variantes de dominación para MOP's. Así, como aporte de nuestro trabajo, probaremos nuevas cotas que se han establecido tanto para los criterios de 3-coloración que atienden a la suma de colores utilizados en la coloración: sum-coloring, como para variantes que atienden a la existencia de caminos irisados en la coloración del grafo: coloración irisada

Algorithmic Graph Theory

The main focus of this workshop was on mathematical techniques needed for the development of efficient solutions and algorithms for computationally difficult graph problems. The techniques studied at the workshhop included: the probabilistic method and randomized algorithms, approximation and optimization, structured families of graphs and approximation algorithms for large problems. The workshop Algorithmic Graph Theory was attended by 46 participants, many of them being young researchers. In 15 survey talks an overview of recent developments in Algorithmic Graph Theory was given. These talks were supplemented by 10 shorter talks and by two special sessions

Roman Domination in Complementary Prism Graphs

A Roman domination function on a complementary prism graph GGc is a function f : V [ V c ! {0, 1, 2} such that every vertex with label 0 has a neighbor with label 2. The Roman domination number R(GGc) of a graph G = (V,E) is the minimum of Px2V [V c f(x) over such functions, where the complementary prism GGc of G is graph obtained from disjoint union of G and its complement Gc by adding edges of a perfect matching between corresponding vertices of G and Gc. In this paper, we have investigated few properties of R(GGc) and its relation with other parameters are obtaine