Testing first-order properties for subclasses of sparse graphs

We present a linear-time algorithm for deciding first-order (FO) properties in classes of graphs with bounded expansion, a notion recently introduced by Nešetřil and Ossona de Mendez. This generalizes several results from the literature, because many natural classes of graphs have bounded expansion: graphs of bounded tree-width, all proper minor-closed classes of graphs, graphs of bounded degree, graphs with no subgraph isomorphic to a subdivision of a fixed graph, and graphs that can be drawn in a fixed surface in such a way that each edge crosses at most a constant number of other edges. We deduce that there is an almost linear-time algorithm for deciding FO properties in classes of graphs with locally bounded expansion. More generally, we design a dynamic data structure for graphs belonging to a fixed class of graphs of bounded expansion. After a linear-time initialization the data structure allows us to test an FO property in constant time, and the data structure can be updated in constant time after addition/deletion of an edge, provided the list of possible edges to be added is known in advance and their simultaneous addition results in a graph in the class. All our results also hold for relational structures and are based on the seminal result of Nešetřil and Ossona de Mendez on the existence of low tree-depth colorings

Rank of divisors on tropical curves

We investigate, using purely combinatorial methods, structural and algorithmic properties of linear equivalence classes of divisors on tropical curves. In particular, we confirm a conjecture of Baker asserting that the rank of a divisor D on a (non-metric) graph is equal to the rank of D on the corresponding metric graph, and construct an algorithm for computing the rank of a divisor on a tropical curve

Hereditary properties of permutations are strongly testable

We show that for every hereditary permutation property and every ∊0 > 0, there exists an integer M such that if a permutation π is ∊o-far from in the Kendall's tau distance, then a random subpermutation of π of order M has the property P with probability at most ∊0. This settles an open problem whether hereditary permutation properties are strongly testable, i.e., testable with respect to the Kendall's tau distance, which is considered to be the edit distance for permutations. Our method also yields a proof of a conjecture of Hoppen, Kohayakawa, Moreira and Sampaio on the relation of the rectangular distance and the Kendall's tau distance of a permutation from a hereditary property

Packing six T-joins in plane graphs

Let G be a plane graph and T an even subset of its vertices. It has been conjectured that if all T-cuts of G have the same parity and the size of every T-cut is at least k, then G contains k edge-disjoint T-joins. The case k = 3 is equivalent to the Four Color Theorem, and the cases k = 4, which was conjectured by Seymour, and k = 5 were proved by Guenin. We settle the next open case k = 6

Three-coloring triangle-free graphs on surfaces I. Extending a coloring to a disk with one triangle

Let G be a plane graph with exactly one triangle T and all other cycles of length at least 5, and let C be a facial cycle of G of length at most six. We prove that a 3-coloring of C does not extend to a 3-coloring of G if and only if C has length exactly six and there is a color x such that either G has an edge joining two vertices of C colored x, or T is disjoint from C and every vertex of T is adjacent to a vertex of C colored x. This is a lemma to be used in a future paper of this series

Three-coloring triangle-free graphs on surfaces II. 4-critical graphs in a disk

Let G be a plane graph of girth at least five. We show that if there exists a 3-coloring of a cycle C of G that does not extend to a 3-coloring of G, then G has a subgraph H on O(|C|) vertices that also has no 3-coloring extending. This is asymptotically best possible and improves a previous bound of Thomassen. In the next paper of the series we will use this result and the attendant theory to prove a generalization to graphs on surfaces with several precolored cycles

Graphic TSP in cubic graphs

We present a polynomial-time 9/7-approximation algorithm for the graphic TSP for cubic graphs, which improves the previously best approximation factor of 1.3 for 2-connected cubic graphs and drops the requirement of 2-connectivity at the same time. To design our algorithm, we prove that every simple 2-connected cubic n-vertex graph contains a spanning closed walk of length at most 9n/7 - 1, and that such a walk can be found in polynomial time

Finitely forcible graphons with an almost arbitrary structure

Graphons are analytic objects representing convergent sequences of large graphs. A graphon is said to be finitely forcible if it is determined by finitely many subgraph densities, i.e., if the asymptotic structure of graphs represented by such a graphon depends only on finitely many density constraints. Such graphons appear in various scenarios, particularly in extremal combinatorics. Lovasz and Szegedy conjectured that all finitely forcible graphons possess a simple structure. This was disproved in a strong sense by Cooper, Kral and Martins, who showed that any graphon is a subgraphon of a finitely forcible graphon. We strenghten this result by showing for every ε>0 that any graphon spans a 1−ε proportion of a finitely forcible graphon

Finitely forcible graph limits are universal

The theory of graph limits represents large graphs by analytic objects called graphons. Graph limits determined by finitely many graph densities, which are represented by finitely forcible graphons, arise in various scenarios, particularly within extremal combinatorics. Lovasz and Szegedy conjectured that all such graphons possess a simple structure, e.g., the space of their typical vertices is always finite dimensional; this was disproved by several ad hoc constructions of complex finitely forcible graphons. We prove that any graphon is a subgraphon of a finitely forcible graphon. This dismisses any hope for a result showing that finitely forcible graphons possess a simple structure, and is surprising when contrasted with the fact that finitely forcible graphons form a meager set in the space of all graphons. In addition, since any finitely forcible graphon represents the unique minimizer of some linear combination of densities of subgraphs, our result also shows that such minimization problems, which conceptually are among the simplest kind within extremal graph theory, may in fact have unique optimal solutions with arbitrarily complex structure

Volume 73, Number 04 (April 1955)

Music Festivals Abroad this Summer Soloist with Toscanini (interview with Herva Nelli) Beethoven of Bonn Xaver Scharwenka—A Great Artist and Teacher Two Centuries of Trombones Music in the Little Red Schoolhouse Birthday Bells for Bell Kayser Studies: An Analysis of the Second Twelvehttps://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/etude/1092/thumbnail.jp