kk-Blocks: a connectivity invariant for graphs

A $k$-block in a graph $G$ is a maximal set of at least $k$ vertices no two of which can be separated in $G$ by fewer than $k$ other vertices. The block number $\beta(G)$ of $G$ is the largest integer $k$ such that $G$ has a $k$-block. We investigate how $\beta$ interacts with density invariants of graphs, such as their minimum or average degree. We further present algorithms that decide whether a graph has a $k$-block, or which find all its $k$-blocks. The connectivity invariant $\beta(G)$ has a dual width invariant, the block-width ${\rm bw}(G)$ of $G$. Our algorithms imply the duality theorem $\beta = {\rm bw}$: a graph has a block-decomposition of width and adhesion $< k$ if and only if it contains no $k$-block.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. This is an extended version the journal article, which has by now appeared. The version here contains an improved version of Theorem 5.3 (which is now best possible) and an additional section with examples at the en

A Logic of Reachable Patterns in Linked Data-Structures

We define a new decidable logic for expressing and checking invariants of programs that manipulate dynamically-allocated objects via pointers and destructive pointer updates. The main feature of this logic is the ability to limit the neighborhood of a node that is reachable via a regular expression from a designated node. The logic is closed under boolean operations (entailment, negation) and has a finite model property. The key technical result is the proof of decidability. We show how to express precondition, postconditions, and loop invariants for some interesting programs. It is also possible to express properties such as disjointness of data-structures, and low-level heap mutations. Moreover, our logic can express properties of arbitrary data-structures and of an arbitrary number of pointer fields. The latter provides a way to naturally specify postconditions that relate the fields on entry to a procedure to the fields on exit. Therefore, it is possible to use the logic to automatically prove partial correctness of programs performing low-level heap mutations

On the Generalised Colouring Numbers of Graphs that Exclude a Fixed Minor

The generalised colouring numbers $\mathrm{col}_r(G)$ and $\mathrm{wcol}_r(G)$ were introduced by Kierstead and Yang as a generalisation of the usual colouring number, and have since then found important theoretical and algorithmic applications. In this paper, we dramatically improve upon the known upper bounds for generalised colouring numbers for graphs excluding a fixed minor, from the exponential bounds of Grohe et al. to a linear bound for the $r$-colouring number $\mathrm{col}_r$ and a polynomial bound for the weak $r$-colouring number $\mathrm{wcol}_r$. In particular, we show that if $G$ excludes $K_t$ as a minor, for some fixed $t\ge4$, then $\mathrm{col}_r(G)\le\binom{t-1}{2}\,(2r+1)$ and $\mathrm{wcol}_r(G)\le\binom{r+t-2}{t-2}\cdot(t-3)(2r+1)\in\mathcal{O}(r^{\,t-1})$. In the case of graphs $G$ of bounded genus $g$, we improve the bounds to $\mathrm{col}_r(G)\le(2g+3)(2r+1)$ (and even $\mathrm{col}_r(G)\le5r+1$ if $g=0$, i.e. if $G$ is planar) and $\mathrm{wcol}_r(G)\le\Bigl(2g+\binom{r+2}{2}\Bigr)\,(2r+1)$.Comment: 21 pages, to appear in European Journal of Combinatoric

Fixed-parameter tractable canonization and isomorphism test for graphs of bounded treewidth

We give a fixed-parameter tractable algorithm that, given a parameter $k$ and two graphs $G_1,G_2$, either concludes that one of these graphs has treewidth at least $k$, or determines whether $G_1$ and $G_2$ are isomorphic. The running time of the algorithm on an $n$-vertex graph is $2^{O(k^5\log k)}\cdot n^5$, and this is the first fixed-parameter algorithm for Graph Isomorphism parameterized by treewidth. Our algorithm in fact solves the more general canonization problem. We namely design a procedure working in $2^{O(k^5\log k)}\cdot n^5$ time that, for a given graph $G$ on $n$ vertices, either concludes that the treewidth of $G$ is at least $k$, or: * finds in an isomorphic-invariant way a graph $\mathfrak{c}(G)$ that is isomorphic to $G$; * finds an isomorphism-invariant construction term --- an algebraic expression that encodes $G$ together with a tree decomposition of $G$ of width $O(k^4)$. Hence, the isomorphism test reduces to verifying whether the computed isomorphic copies or the construction terms for $G_1$ and $G_2$ are equal.Comment: Full version of a paper presented at FOCS 201

Turaev genus, knot signature, and the knot homology concordance invariants

We give bounds on knot signature, the Ozsvath-Szabo tau invariant, and the Rasmussen s invariant in terms of the Turaev genus of the knot.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure