Cartesian product of hypergraphs: properties and algorithms

Cartesian products of graphs have been studied extensively since the 1960s. They make it possible to decrease the algorithmic complexity of problems by using the factorization of the product. Hypergraphs were introduced as a generalization of graphs and the definition of Cartesian products extends naturally to them. In this paper, we give new properties and algorithms concerning coloring aspects of Cartesian products of hypergraphs. We also extend a classical prime factorization algorithm initially designed for graphs to connected conformal hypergraphs using 2-sections of hypergraphs

The Cartesian product of graphs with loops

We extend the definition of the Cartesian product to graphs with loops and show that the Sabidussi-Vizing unique factorization theorem for connected finite simple graphs still holds in this context for all connected finite graphs with at least one unlooped vertex. We also prove that this factorization can be computed in O(m) time, where m is the number of edges of the given graph.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

On Products and Line Graphs of Signed Graphs, their Eigenvalues and Energy

In this article we examine the adjacency and Laplacian matrices and their eigenvalues and energies of the general product (non-complete extended $p$-sum, or NEPS) of signed graphs. We express the adjacency matrix of the product in terms of the Kronecker matrix product and the eigenvalues and energy of the product in terms of those of the factor signed graphs. For the Cartesian product we characterize balance and compute expressions for the Laplacian eigenvalues and Laplacian energy. We give exact results for those signed planar, cylindrical and toroidal grids which are Cartesian products of signed paths and cycles. We also treat the eigenvalues and energy of the line graphs of signed graphs, and the Laplacian eigenvalues and Laplacian energy in the regular case, with application to the line graphs of signed grids that are Cartesian products and to the line graphs of all-positive and all-negative complete graphs.Comment: 30 page

Strong Products of Hypergraphs: Unique Prime Factorization Theorems and Algorithms

It is well-known that all finite connected graphs have a unique prime factor decomposition (PFD) with respect to the strong graph product which can be computed in polynomial time. Essential for the PFD computation is the construction of the so-called Cartesian skeleton of the graphs under investigation. In this contribution, we show that every connected thin hypergraph H has a unique prime factorization with respect to the normal and strong (hypergraph) product. Both products coincide with the usual strong graph product whenever H is a graph. We introduce the notion of the Cartesian skeleton of hypergraphs as a natural generalization of the Cartesian skeleton of graphs and prove that it is uniquely defined for thin hypergraphs. Moreover, we show that the Cartesian skeleton of hypergraphs can be determined in O(|E|^2) time and that the PFD can be computed in O(|V|^2|E|) time, for hypergraphs H = (V,E) with bounded degree and bounded rank