504 research outputs found
Minimizing the number of independent sets in triangle-free regular graphs
Recently, Davies, Jenssen, Perkins, and Roberts gave a very nice proof of the
result (due, in various parts, to Kahn, Galvin-Tetali, and Zhao) that the
independence polynomial of a -regular graph is maximized by disjoint copies
of . Their proof uses linear programming bounds on the distribution of
a cleverly chosen random variable. In this paper, we use this method to give
lower bounds on the independence polynomial of regular graphs. We also give new
bounds on the number of independent sets in triangle-free regular graphs
Counting dominating sets and related structures in graphs
We consider some problems concerning the maximum number of (strong)
dominating sets in a regular graph, and their weighted analogues. Our primary
tool is Shearer's entropy lemma. These techniques extend to a reasonably broad
class of graph parameters enumerating vertex colorings satisfying conditions on
the multiset of colors appearing in (closed) neighborhoods. We also generalize
further to enumeration problems for what we call existence homomorphisms. Here
our results are substantially less complete, though we do solve some natural
problems
Input Constraints and the Efficiency of Entry: Lessons from Cardiac Surgery
Prior studies suggest that, with elastically supplied inputs, free entry may lead to an inefficiently high number of firms in equilibrium. Under input scarcity, however, the welfare loss from free entry is reduced. Further, free entry may increase use of high-quality inputs, as oligopolistic firms underuse these inputs when entry is constrained. We assess these predictions by examining how the 1996 repeal of certificate-of-need (CON) legislation in Pennsylvania affected the market for cardiac surgery in the state. We show that entry led to a redistribution of surgeries to higher-quality surgeons and that this entry was approximately welfare neutral.
An entropy proof of the Kahn-Lovasz theorem
Bregman [2], gave a best possible upper bound for the number of perfect matchings in a balanced bipartite graph in terms of its degree sequence. Recently Kahn and Lovasz [8] extended Bregman’s theorem to general graphs. In this paper, we use entropy methods to give a new proof of the Kahn-Lovasz theorem. Our methods build on Radhakrishnan’s [9] use of entropy to prove Bregman’s theorem
Hypergraph Independent Sets
The study of extremal problems related to independent sets in hypergraphs is a problem that has generated much interest. There are a variety of types of independent sets in hypergraphs depending on the number of vertices from an independent set allowed in an edge. We say that a subset of vertices is j-independent if its intersection with any edge has size strictly less than j. The Kruskal–Katona theorem implies that in an r-uniform hypergraph with a fixed size and order, the hypergraph with the most r-independent sets is the lexicographic hypergraph. In this paper, we use a hypergraph regularity lemma, along with a technique developed by Loh, Pikhurko and Sudakov, to give an asymptotically best possible upper bound on the number of j-independent sets in an r-uniform hypergraph
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