The minimum vertex degree for an almost-spanning tight cycle in a 33-uniform hypergraph

We prove that any $3$-uniform hypergraph whose minimum vertex degree is at least $\left(\frac{5}{9} + o(1) \right)\binom{n}{2}$ admits an almost-spanning tight cycle, that is, a tight cycle leaving $o(n)$ vertices uncovered. The bound on the vertex degree is asymptotically best possible. Our proof uses the hypergraph regularity method, and in particular a recent version of the hypergraph regularity lemma proved by Allen, B\"ottcher, Cooley and Mycroft.Comment: 10 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1411.495

Polynomial-time perfect matchings in dense hypergraphs

Let $H$ be a $k$-graph on $n$ vertices, with minimum codegree at least $n/k + cn$ for some fixed $c > 0$. In this paper we construct a polynomial-time algorithm which finds either a perfect matching in $H$ or a certificate that none exists. This essentially solves a problem of Karpi\'nski, Ruci\'nski and Szyma\'nska; Szyma\'nska previously showed that this problem is NP-hard for a minimum codegree of $n/k - cn$. Our algorithm relies on a theoretical result of independent interest, in which we characterise any such hypergraph with no perfect matching using a family of lattice-based constructions.Comment: 64 pages. Update includes minor revisions. To appear in Advances in Mathematic

Hamilton cycles in hypergraphs below the Dirac threshold

We establish a precise characterisation of $4$-uniform hypergraphs with minimum codegree close to $n/2$ which contain a Hamilton $2$-cycle. As an immediate corollary we identify the exact Dirac threshold for Hamilton $2$-cycles in $4$-uniform hypergraphs. Moreover, by derandomising the proof of our characterisation we provide a polynomial-time algorithm which, given a $4$-uniform hypergraph $H$ with minimum codegree close to $n/2$, either finds a Hamilton $2$-cycle in $H$ or provides a certificate that no such cycle exists. This surprising result stands in contrast to the graph setting, in which below the Dirac threshold it is NP-hard to determine if a graph is Hamiltonian. We also consider tight Hamilton cycles in $k$-uniform hypergraphs $H$ for $k \geq 3$, giving a series of reductions to show that it is NP-hard to determine whether a $k$-uniform hypergraph $H$ with minimum degree $\delta(H) \geq \frac{1}{2}|V(H)| - O(1)$ contains a tight Hamilton cycle. It is therefore unlikely that a similar characterisation can be obtained for tight Hamilton cycles.Comment: v2: minor revisions in response to reviewer comments, most pseudocode and details of the polynomial time reduction moved to the appendix which will not appear in the printed version of the paper. To appear in Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series