Algorithms and Complexity for Geodetic Sets on Planar and Chordal Graphs

We study the complexity of finding the geodetic number on subclasses of planar graphs and chordal graphs. A set S of vertices of a graph G is a geodetic set if every vertex of G lies in a shortest path between some pair of vertices of S. The Minimum Geodetic Set (MGS) problem is to find a geodetic set with minimum cardinality of a given graph. The problem is known to remain NP-hard on bipartite graphs, chordal graphs, planar graphs and subcubic graphs. We first study MGS on restricted classes of planar graphs: we design a linear-time algorithm for MGS on solid grids, improving on a 3-approximation algorithm by Chakraborty et al. (CALDAM, 2020) and show that MGS remains NP-hard even for subcubic partial grids of arbitrary girth. This unifies some results in the literature. We then turn our attention to chordal graphs, showing that MGS is fixed parameter tractable for inputs of this class when parameterized by their treewidth (which equals the clique number minus one). This implies a linear-time algorithm for k-trees, for fixed k. Then, we show that MGS is NP-hard on interval graphs, thereby answering a question of Ekim et al. (LATIN, 2012). As interval graphs are very constrained, to prove the latter result we design a rather sophisticated reduction technique to work around their inherent linear structure

Revisiting path-type covering and partitioning problems

This is a survey article which is at the initial stage. The author will appreciate to receive your comments and contributions to improve the quality of the article. The author's contact address is [email protected] problems belong to the foundation of graph theory. There are several types of covering problems in graph theory such as covering the vertex set by stars (domination problem), covering the vertex set by cliques (clique covering problem), covering the vertex set by independent sets (coloring problem), and covering the vertex set by paths or cycles. A similar concept which is partitioning problem is also equally important. Lately research in graph theory has produced unprecedented growth because of its various application in engineering and science. The covering and partitioning problem by paths itself have produced a sizable volume of literatures. The research on these problems is expanding in multiple directions and the volume of research papers is exploding. It is the time to simplify and unify the literature on different types of the covering and partitioning problems. The problems considered in this article are path cover problem, induced path cover problem, isometric path cover problem, path partition problem, induced path partition problem and isometric path partition problem. The objective of this article is to summarize the recent developments on these problems, classify their literatures and correlate the inter-relationship among the related concepts

Hardness and approximation for the geodetic set problem in some graph classes

In this paper, we study the computational complexity of finding the \emph{geodetic number} of graphs. A set of vertices $S$ of a graph $G$ is a \emph{geodetic set} if any vertex of $G$ lies in some shortest path between some pair of vertices from $S$. The \textsc{Minimum Geodetic Set (MGS)} problem is to find a geodetic set with minimum cardinality. In this paper, we prove that solving the \textsc{MGS} problem is NP-hard on planar graphs with a maximum degree six and line graphs. We also show that unless $P=NP$, there is no polynomial time algorithm to solve the \textsc{MGS} problem with sublogarithmic approximation factor (in terms of the number of vertices) even on graphs with diameter $2$. On the positive side, we give an $O\left(\sqrt[3]{n}\log n\right)$-approximation algorithm for the \textsc{MGS} problem on general graphs of order $n$. We also give a $3$-approximation algorithm for the \textsc{MGS} problem on the family of solid grid graphs which is a subclass of planar graphs

Chasing the Rainbow Connection: Hardness, Algorithms, and Bounds

We study rainbow connectivity of graphs from the algorithmic and graph-theoretic points of view. The study is divided into three parts. First, we study the complexity of deciding whether a given edge-colored graph is rainbow-connected. That is, we seek to verify whether the graph has a path on which no color repeats between each pair of its vertices. We obtain a comprehensive map of the hardness landscape of the problem. While the problem is NP-complete in general, we identify several structural properties that render the problem tractable. At the same time, we strengthen the known NP-completeness results for the problem. We pinpoint various parameters for which the problem is fixed-parameter tractable, including dichotomy results for popular width parameters, such as treewidth and pathwidth. The study extends to variants of the problem that consider vertex-colored graphs and/or rainbow shortest paths. We also consider upper and lower bounds for exact parameterized algorithms. In particular, we show that when parameterized by the number of colors k, the existence of a rainbow s-t path can be decided in O∗ (2k ) time and polynomial space. For the highly related problem of finding a path on which all the k colors appear, i.e., a colorful path, we explain the modest progress over the last twenty years. Namely, we prove that the existence of an algorithm for finding a colorful path in (2 − ε)k nO(1) time for some ε > 0 disproves the so-called Set Cover Conjecture.Second, we focus on the problem of finding a rainbow coloring. The minimum number of colors for which a graph G is rainbow-connected is known as its rainbow connection number, denoted by rc(G). Likewise, the minimum number of colors required to establish a rainbow shortest path between each pair of vertices in G is known as its strong rainbow connection number, denoted by src(G). We give new hardness results for computing rc(G) and src(G), including their vertex variants. The hardness results exclude polynomial-time algorithms for restricted graph classes and also fast exact exponential-time algorithms (under reasonable complexity assumptions). For positive results, we show that rainbow coloring is tractable for e.g., graphs of bounded treewidth. In addition, we give positive parameterized results for certain variants and relaxations of the problems in which the goal is to save k colors from a trivial upper bound, or to rainbow connect only a certain number of vertex pairs.Third, we take a more graph-theoretic view on rainbow coloring. We observe upper bounds on the rainbow connection numbers in terms of other well-known graph parameters. Furthermore, despite the interest, there have been few results on the strong rainbow connection number of a graph. We give improved bounds and determine exactly the rainbow and strong rainbow connection numbers for some subclasses of chordal graphs. Finally, we pose open problems and conjectures arising from our work

Structure and properties of maximal outerplanar graphs.

Outerplanar graphs are planar graphs that have a plane embedding in which each vertex lies on the boundary of the exterior region. An outerplanar graph is maximal outerplanar if the graph obtained by adding an edge is not outerplanar. Maximal outerplanar graphs are also known as triangulations of polygons. The spine of a maximal outerplanar graph G is the dual graph of G without the vertex that corresponds to the exterior region. In this thesis we study metric properties involving geodesic intervals, geodetic sets, Steiner sets, different concepts of boundary, and also relationships between the independence numbers and domination numbers of maximal outerplanar graphs and their spines. In Chapter 2 we find an extension of a result by Beyer, et al. [3] that deals with Hamiltonian degree sequences in maximal outerplanar graphs. In Chapters 3 and 4 we give sharp bounds relating the independence number and domination number, respectively, of a maximal outerplanar graph to those of its spine. In Chapter 5 we discuss the boundary, contour, eccentricity, periphery, and extreme set of a graph. We give a characterization of the boundary of maximal outerplanar graphs that involves the degrees of vertices. We find properties that characterize the contour of a maximal outerplanar graph. The other main result of this chapter gives characterizations of graphs induced by the contour and by the periphery of a maximal outerplanar graph. In Chapter 6 we show that the generalized intervals in a maximal outerplanar graph are convex. We use this result to characterize geodetic sets in maximal outerplanar graphs. We show that every Steiner set in a maximal outerplanar graph is a geodetic set and also show some differences between these types of sets. We present sharp bounds for geodetic numbers and Steiner numbers of maximal outerplanar graphs

Three problems on well-partitioned chordal graphs

In this work, we solve three problems on well-partitioned chordal graphs. First, we show that every connected (resp., 2-connected) well-partitioned chordal graph has a vertex that intersects all longest paths (resp., longest cycles). It is an open problem [Balister et al., Comb. Probab. Comput. 2004] whether the same holds for chordal graphs. Similarly, we show that every connected well-partitioned chordal graph admits a (polynomial-time constructible) tree 3-spanner, while the complexity status of the Tree 3-Spanner problem remains open on chordal graphs [Brandstädt et al., Theor. Comput. Sci. 2004]. Finally, we show that the problem of finding a minimum-size geodetic set is polynomial-time solvable on well-partitioned chordal graphs. This is the first example of a problem that is NP -hard on chordal graphs and polynomial-time solvable on well-partitioned chordal graphs. Altogether, these results reinforce the significance of this recently defined graph class as a tool to tackle problems that are hard or unsolved on chordal graphs.acceptedVersio

Convex Cycle Bases

Convex cycles play a role e.g. in the context of product graphs. We introduce convex cycle bases and describe a polynomial-time algorithm that recognizes whether a given graph has a convex cycle basis and provides an explicit construction in the positive case. Relations between convex cycles bases and other types of cycles bases are discussed. In particular we show that if G has a unique minimal cycle bases, this basis is convex. Furthermore, we characterize a class of graphs with convex cycles bases that includes partial cubes and hence median graphs. (authors' abstract)Series: Research Report Series / Department of Statistics and Mathematic

An updated survey on rainbow connections of graphs - a dynamic survey

The concept of rainbow connection was introduced by Chartrand, Johns, McKeon and Zhang in 2008. Nowadays it has become a new and active subject in graph theory. There is a book on this topic by Li and Sun in 2012, and a survey paper by Li, Shi and Sun in 2013. More and more researchers are working in this field, and many new papers have been published in journals. In this survey we attempt to bring together most of the new results and papers that deal with this topic. We begin with an introduction, and then try to organize the work into the following categories, rainbow connection coloring of edge-version, rainbow connection coloring of vertex-version, rainbow $k$-connectivity, rainbow index, rainbow connection coloring of total-version, rainbow connection on digraphs, rainbow connection on hypergraphs. This survey also contains some conjectures, open problems and questions for further study