Combinatorics

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Graph-Theoretic Simplicial Complexes, Hajos-type Constructions, and k-Matchings

A graph property is monotone if it is closed under the removal of edges and vertices. Given a graph G and a monotone graph property P, one can associate to the pair (G,P) a simplicial complex, which serves as a way to encode graph properties within faces of a topological space. We study these graph-theoretic simplicial complexes using combinatorial and topological approaches as a way to inform our understanding of the graphs and their properties. In this dissertation, we study two families of simplicial complexes: (1) neighborhood complexes and (2) k-matching complexes. A neighborhood complex is a simplicial complex of a graph with vertex set the vertices of the graph and facets given by neighborhoods of each vertex of the graph. In 1978, Lov\\u27asz used neighborhood complexes as a tool for studying lower bounds for the chromatic number of graphs. In Chapter 2, we will prove results about the connectivity of neighborhood complexes in relation to Haj\\u27os-type constructions and analyze randomly generated graphs arising from two Haj\\u27os-type stochastic algorithms using SageMath. Chapter 3 will focus on k-matching complexes. A k-matching complex of a graph is a simplicial complex with vertex set given by edges of the graph and faces given sets of edges in the graph such that each vertex of the induced graph has degree at most k. We pursue the study of k-matching complexes and investigate 2-matching complexes of wheel graphs and caterpillar graphs

Separability and Vertex Ordering of Graphs

Many graph optimization problems, such as finding an optimal coloring, or a largest clique, can be solved by a divide-and-conquer approach. One such well-known technique is decomposition by clique separators where a graph is decomposed into special induced subgraphs along their clique separators. While the most common practice of this method employs minimal clique separators, in this work we study other variations as well. We strive to characterize their structure and in particular the bound on the number of atoms. In fact, we strengthen the known bounds for the general clique cutset decomposition and the minimal clique separator decomposition. Graph ordering is the arrangement of a graph’s vertices according to a certain logic and is a useful tool in optimization problems. Special types of vertices are often recognized in graph classes, for instance it is well-known every chordal graph contains a simplicial vertex. Vertex-ordering, based on such properties, have originated many linear time algorithms. We propose to define a new family named SE-Class such that every graph belonging to this family inherently contains a simplicial extreme, that is a vertex which is either simplicial or has exactly two neighbors which are non-adjacent. Our family lends itself to an ordering based on simplicial extreme vertices (named SEO) which we demonstrate to be advantageous for the coloring and maximum clique problems. In addition, we examine the relation of SE-Class to the family of (Even-Hole, Kite)-free graphs and show a linear time generation of SEO for (Even-Hole, Diamond, Claw)-free graphs. We showcase the applications of those two core tools, namely clique-based decomposition and vertex ordering, on the (Even-Hole, Kite)-free family

Novel procedures for graph edge-colouring

Orientador: Dr. Renato CarmoCoorientador: Dr. André Luiz Pires GuedesTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Informática. Defesa : Curitiba, 05/12/2018Inclui referências e índiceÁrea de concentração: Ciência da ComputaçãoResumo: O índice cromático de um grafo G é o menor número de cores necessário para colorir as arestas de G de modo que não haja duas arestas adjacentes recebendo a mesma cor. Pelo célebre Teorema de Vizing, o índice cromático de qualquer grafo simples G ou é seu grau máximo , ou é ? + 1, em cujo caso G é dito Classe 1 ou Classe 2, respectivamente. Computar uma coloração de arestas ótima de um grafo ou simplesmente determinar seu índice cromático são problemas NP-difíceis importantes que aparecem em aplicações notáveis, como redes de sensores, redes ópticas, controle de produção, e jogos. Neste trabalho, nós apresentamos novos procedimentos de tempo polinomial para colorir otimamente as arestas de grafos pertences a alguns conjuntos grandes. Por exemplo, seja X a classe dos grafos cujos maiorais (vértices de grau ?) possuem soma local de graus no máximo ?2 ?? (entendemos por 'soma local de graus' de um vértice x a soma dos graus dos vizinhos de x). Nós mostramos que quase todo grafo está em X e, estendendo o procedimento de recoloração que Vizing usou na prova para seu teorema, mostramos que todo grafo em X é Classe 1. Nós também conseguimos resultados em outras classes de grafos, como os grafos-junção, os grafos arco-circulares, e os prismas complementares. Como um exemplo, nós mostramos que um prisma complementar só pode ser Classe 2 se for um grafo regular distinto do K2. No que diz respeito aos grafos-junção, nós mostramos que se G1 e G2 são grafos disjuntos tais que |V(G1)| _ |V(G2)| e ?(G1) _ ?(G2), e se os maiorais de G1 induzem um grafo acíclico, então o grafo-junção G1 ?G2 é Classe 1. Além desses resultados em coloração de arestas, apresentamos resultados parciais em coloração total de grafos-junção, de grafos arco-circulares, e de grafos cobipartidos, bem como discutimos um procedimento de recoloração para coloração total. Palavras-chave: Coloração de grafos e hipergrafos (MSC 05C15). Algoritmos de grafos (MSC 05C85). Teoria dos grafos em relação à Ciência da Computação (MSC 68R10). Graus de vértices (MSC 05C07). Operações de grafos (MSC 05C76).Abstract: The chromatic index of a graph G is the minimum number of colours needed to colour the edges of G in a manner that no two adjacent edges receive the same colour. By the celebrated Vizing's Theorem, the chromatic index of any simple graph G is either its maximum degree ? or it is ? + 1, in which case G is said to be Class 1 or Class 2, respectively. Computing an optimal edge-colouring of a graph or simply determining its chromatic index are important NP-hard problems which appear in noteworthy applications, like sensor networks, optical networks, production control, and games. In this work we present novel polynomial-time procedures for optimally edge-colouring graphs belonging to some large sets of graphs. For example, let X be the class of the graphs whose majors (vertices of degree ?) have local degree sum at most ?2 ? ? (by 'local degree sum' of a vertex x we mean the sum of the degrees of the neighbours of x). We show that almost every graph is in X and, by extending the recolouring procedure used by Vizing's in the proof for his theorem, we show that every graph in X is Class 1. We further achieve results in other graph classes, such as join graphs, circular-arc graphs, and complementary prisms. For instance, we show that a complementary prism can be Class 2 only if it is a regular graph distinct from the K2. Concerning join graphs, we show that if G1 and G2 are disjoint graphs such that |V(G1)| _ |V(G2)| and ?(G1) _ ?(G2), and if the majors of G1 induce an acyclic graph, then the join graph G1 ?G2 is Class 1. Besides these results on edge-colouring, we present partial results on total colouring join graphs, cobipartite graphs, and circular-arc graphs, as well as a discussion on a recolouring procedure for total colouring. Keywords: Colouring of graphs and hypergraphs (MSC 05C15). Graph algorithms (MSC 05C85). Graph theory in relation to Computer Science (MSC 68R10). Vertex degrees (MSC 05C07). Graph operations (MSC 05C76)

Proceedings of the 8th Cologne-Twente Workshop on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization

International audienceThe Cologne-Twente Workshop (CTW) on Graphs and Combinatorial Optimization started off as a series of workshops organized bi-annually by either Köln University or Twente University. As its importance grew over time, it re-centered its geographical focus by including northern Italy (CTW04 in Menaggio, on the lake Como and CTW08 in Gargnano, on the Garda lake). This year, CTW (in its eighth edition) will be staged in France for the first time: more precisely in the heart of Paris, at the Conservatoire National d’Arts et Métiers (CNAM), between 2nd and 4th June 2009, by a mixed organizing committee with members from LIX, Ecole Polytechnique and CEDRIC, CNAM

Topics in Graph Theory: Extremal Intersecting Systems, Perfect Graphs, and Bireflexive Graphs

In this thesis we investigate three different aspects of graph theory. Firstly, we consider interesecting systems of independent sets in graphs, and the extension of the classical theorem of Erdos, Ko and Rado to graphs. Our main results are a proof of an Erdos-Ko-Rado type theorem for a class of trees, and a class of trees which form counterexamples to a conjecture of Hurlberg and Kamat, in such a way that extends the previous counterexamples given by Baber. Secondly, we investigate perfect graphs - specifically, edge modification aspects of perfect graphs and their subclasses. We give some alternative characterisations of perfect graphs in terms of edge modification, as well as considering the possible connection of the critically perfect graphs - previously studied by Wagler - to the Strong Perfect Graph Theorem. We prove that the situation where critically perfect graphs arise has no analogue in seven different subclasses of perfect graphs (e.g. chordal, comparability graphs), and consider the connectivity of a bipartite reconfiguration-type graph associated to each of these subclasses. Thirdly, we consider a graph theoretic structure called a bireflexive graph where every vertex is both adjacent and nonadjacent to itself, and use this to characterise modular decompositions as the surjective homomorphisms of these structures. We examine some analogues of some graph theoretic notions and define a “dual” version of the reconstruction conjecture

Exploiting structure to cope with NP-hard graph problems: Polynomial and exponential time exact algorithms

An ideal algorithm for solving a particular problem always finds an optimal solution, finds such a solution for every possible instance, and finds it in polynomial time. When dealing with NP-hard problems, algorithms can only be expected to possess at most two out of these three desirable properties. All algorithms presented in this thesis are exact algorithms, which means that they always find an optimal solution. Demanding the solution to be optimal means that other concessions have to be made when designing an exact algorithm for an NP-hard problem: we either have to impose restrictions on the instances of the problem in order to achieve a polynomial time complexity, or we have to abandon the requirement that the worst-case running time has to be polynomial. In some cases, when the problem under consideration remains NP-hard on restricted input, we are even forced to do both. Most of the problems studied in this thesis deal with partitioning the vertex set of a given graph. In the other problems the task is to find certain types of paths and cycles in graphs. The problems all have in common that they are NP-hard on general graphs. We present several polynomial time algorithms for solving restrictions of these problems to specific graph classes, in particular graphs without long induced paths, chordal graphs and claw-free graphs. For problems that remain NP-hard even on restricted input we present exact exponential time algorithms. In the design of each of our algorithms, structural graph properties have been heavily exploited. Apart from using existing structural results, we prove new structural properties of certain types of graphs in order to obtain our algorithmic results