Random planar maps and graphs with minimum degree two and three

We find precise asymptotic estimates for the number of planar maps and graphs with a condition on the minimum degree, and properties of random graphs from these classes. In particular we show that the size of the largest tree attached to the core of a random planar graph is of order c log(n) for an explicit constant c. These results provide new information on the structure of random planar graphs.Comment: 32 page

Clusters, generating functions and asymptotics for consecutive patterns in permutations

We use the cluster method to enumerate permutations avoiding consecutive patterns. We reprove and generalize in a unified way several known results and obtain new ones, including some patterns of length 4 and 5, as well as some infinite families of patterns of a given shape. By enumerating linear extensions of certain posets, we find a differential equation satisfied by the inverse of the exponential generating function counting occurrences of the pattern. We prove that for a large class of patterns, this inverse is always an entire function. We also complete the classification of consecutive patterns of length up to 6 into equivalence classes, proving a conjecture of Nakamura. Finally, we show that the monotone pattern asymptotically dominates (in the sense that it is easiest to avoid) all non-overlapping patterns of the same length, thus proving a conjecture of Elizalde and Noy for a positive fraction of all patterns

A solution to the tennis ball problem

We present a complete solution to the so-called tennis ball problem, which is equivalent to counting lattice paths in the plane that use North and East steps and lie between certain boundaries. The solution takes the form of explicit expressions for the corresponding generating functions. Our method is based on the properties of Tutte polynomials of matroids associated to lattice paths. We also show how the same method provides a solution to a wide generalization of the problem.Comment: 9 pages, Late

Enumeration of labelled 4-regular planar graphs

We present the first combinatorial scheme for counting labelled 4-regular planar graphs through a complete recursive decomposition. More precisely, we show that the exponential generating function of labelled 4-regular planar graphs can be computed effectively as the solution of a system of equations, from which the coefficients can be extracted. As a byproduct, we also enumerate labelled 3-connected 4-regular planar graphs, and simple 4-regular rooted maps

On the expected number of perfect matchings in cubic planar graphs

A well-known conjecture by Lov\'asz and Plummer from the 1970s asserted that a bridgeless cubic graph has exponentially many perfect matchings. It was solved in the affirmative by Esperet et al. (Adv. Math. 2011). On the other hand, Chudnovsky and Seymour (Combinatorica 2012) proved the conjecture in the special case of cubic planar graphs. In our work we consider random bridgeless cubic planar graphs with the uniform distribution on graphs with $n$ vertices. Under this model we show that the expected number of perfect matchings in labeled bridgeless cubic planar graphs is asymptotically $c\gamma^n$, where $c>0$ and $\gamma \sim 1.14196$ is an explicit algebraic number. We also compute the expected number of perfect matchings in (non necessarily bridgeless) cubic planar graphs and provide lower bounds for unlabeled graphs. Our starting point is a correspondence between counting perfect matchings in rooted cubic planar maps and the partition function of the Ising model in rooted triangulations.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

On the probability of planarity of a random graph near the critical point

Consider the uniform random graph $G(n,M)$ with $n$ vertices and $M$ edges. Erd\H{o}s and R\'enyi (1960) conjectured that the limit \lim_{n \to \infty} \Pr\{G(n,\textstyle{n\over 2}) is planar}} exists and is a constant strictly between 0 and 1. \L uczak, Pittel and Wierman (1994) proved this conjecture and Janson, \L uczak, Knuth and Pittel (1993) gave lower and upper bounds for this probability. In this paper we determine the exact probability of a random graph being planar near the critical point $M=n/2$. For each $\lambda$, we find an exact analytic expression for $$p(\lambda) = \lim_{n \to \infty} \Pr{G(n,\textstyle{n\over 2}(1+\lambda n^{-1/3})) is planar}.$$ In particular, we obtain $p(0) \approx 0.99780$. We extend these results to classes of graphs closed under taking minors. As an example, we show that the probability of $G(n,\textstyle{n\over 2})$ being series-parallel converges to 0.98003. For the sake of completeness and exposition we reprove in a concise way several basic properties we need of a random graph near the critical point.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur