Choice Number and Energy of Graphs

The energy of a graph G, denoted by E(G), is defined as the sum of the absolute values of all eigenvalues of G. It is proved that E(G)>= 2(n-\chi(\bar{G}))>= 2(ch(G)-1) for every graph G of order n, and that E(G)>= 2ch(G) for all graphs G except for those in a few specified families, where \bar{G}, \chi(G), and ch(G) are the complement, the chromatic number, and the choice number of G, respectively.Comment: to appear in Linear Algebra and its Application

Beyond graph energy: norms of graphs and matrices

In 1978 Gutman introduced the energy of a graph as the sum of the absolute values of graph eigenvalues, and ever since then graph energy has been intensively studied. Since graph energy is the trace norm of the adjacency matrix, matrix norms provide a natural background for its study. Thus, this paper surveys research on matrix norms that aims to expand and advance the study of graph energy. The focus is exclusively on the Ky Fan and the Schatten norms, both generalizing and enriching the trace norm. As it turns out, the study of extremal properties of these norms leads to numerous analytic problems with deep roots in combinatorics. The survey brings to the fore the exceptional role of Hadamard matrices, conference matrices, and conference graphs in matrix norms. In addition, a vast new matrix class is studied, a relaxation of symmetric Hadamard matrices. The survey presents solutions to just a fraction of a larger body of similar problems bonding analysis to combinatorics. Thus, open problems and questions are raised to outline topics for further investigation.Comment: 54 pages. V2 fixes many typos, and gives some new materia

Zero-free regions for multivariate Tutte polynomials (alias Potts-model partition functions) of graphs and matroids

The chromatic polynomial P_G(q) of a loopless graph G is known to be nonzero (with explicitly known sign) on the intervals (-\infty,0), (0,1) and (1,32/27]. Analogous theorems hold for the flow polynomial of bridgeless graphs and for the characteristic polynomial of loopless matroids. Here we exhibit all these results as special cases of more general theorems on real zero-free regions of the multivariate Tutte polynomial Z_G(q,v). The proofs are quite simple, and employ deletion-contraction together with parallel and series reduction. In particular, they shed light on the origin of the curious number 32/27.Comment: LaTeX2e, 49 pages, includes 5 Postscript figure

Exact Potts Model Partition Functions on Strips of the Honeycomb Lattice

We present exact calculations of the partition function of the $q$-state Potts model on (i) open, (ii) cyclic, and (iii) M\"obius strips of the honeycomb (brick) lattice of width $L_y=2$ and arbitrarily great length. In the infinite-length limit the thermodynamic properties are discussed. The continuous locus of singularities of the free energy is determined in the $q$ plane for fixed temperature and in the complex temperature plane for fixed $q$ values. We also give exact calculations of the zero-temperature partition function (chromatic polynomial) and $W(q)$, the exponent of the ground-state entropy, for the Potts antiferromagnet for honeycomb strips of type (iv) $L_y=3$, cyclic, (v) $L_y=3$, M\"obius, (vi) $L_y=4$, cylindrical, and (vii) $L_y=4$, open. In the infinite-length limit we calculate $W(q)$ and determine the continuous locus of points where it is nonanalytic. We show that our exact calculation of the entropy for the $L_y=4$ strip with cylindrical boundary conditions provides an extremely accurate approximation, to a few parts in $10^5$ for moderate $q$ values, to the entropy for the full 2D honeycomb lattice (where the latter is determined by Monte Carlo measurements since no exact analytic form is known).Comment: 48 pages, latex, with encapsulated postscript figure

From the Ising and Potts models to the general graph homomorphism polynomial

In this note we study some of the properties of the generating polynomial for homomorphisms from a graph to at complete weighted graph on $q$ vertices. We discuss how this polynomial relates to a long list of other well known graph polynomials and the partition functions for different spin models, many of which are specialisations of the homomorphism polynomial. We also identify the smallest graphs which are not determined by their homomorphism polynomials for $q=2$ and $q=3$ and compare this with the corresponding minimal examples for the $U$-polynomial, which generalizes the well known Tutte-polynomal.Comment: V2. Extended versio