1-Factors and Polynomials

In this paper we give a fuller exposition of a property of 1-factors discussed in [1]. The 1-factors of cubic graphs are found to be enumerated by a graph-function closley related to the chromatic and flow polynomials. The first part of the paper is a short account, with some minor improvements, of the theory of V-functions and φ-functions first set out in [1]

On the Dissection of Rectangles into Right-Angled Isosceles Triangles

AbstractWe consider the problem of dissecting a rectangle or a square into unequal right-angled isosceles triangles. This is regarded as a generalization of the well-known and much-solved problem of dissecting such figures into unequal squares. There is an analogous “electrical” theory but it is based on digraphs instead of graphs and has an appropriate modification of Kirchhoff's first law. The operation of reversing all edges in the digraph is found to be of great help in the construction of “perfect” dissected squares

Planar maps and continued fractions

We present an unexpected connection between two map enumeration problems. The first one consists in counting planar maps with a boundary of prescribed length. The second one consists in counting planar maps with two points at a prescribed distance. We show that, in the general class of maps with controlled face degrees, the solution for both problems is actually encoded into the same quantity, respectively via its power series expansion and its continued fraction expansion. We then use known techniques for tackling the first problem in order to solve the second. This novel viewpoint provides a constructive approach for computing the so-called distance-dependent two-point function of general planar maps. We prove and extend some previously predicted exact formulas, which we identify in terms of particular Schur functions.Comment: 47 pages, 17 figures, final version (very minor changes since v2

Wiretapping a hidden network

We consider the problem of maximizing the probability of hitting a strategically chosen hidden virtual network by placing a wiretap on a single link of a communication network. This can be seen as a two-player win-lose (zero-sum) game that we call the wiretap game. The value of this game is the greatest probability that the wiretapper can secure for hitting the virtual network. The value is shown to equal the reciprocal of the strength of the underlying graph. We efficiently compute a unique partition of the edges of the graph, called the prime-partition, and find the set of pure strategies of the hider that are best responses against every maxmin strategy of the wiretapper. Using these special pure strategies of the hider, which we call omni-connected-spanning-subgraphs, we define a partial order on the elements of the prime-partition. From the partial order, we obtain a linear number of simple two-variable inequalities that define the maxmin-polytope, and a characterization of its extreme points. Our definition of the partial order allows us to find all equilibrium strategies of the wiretapper that minimize the number of pure best responses of the hider. Among these strategies, we efficiently compute the unique strategy that maximizes the least punishment that the hider incurs for playing a pure strategy that is not a best response. Finally, we show that this unique strategy is the nucleolus of the recently studied simple cooperative spanning connectivity game

Drawing Planar Graphs with a Prescribed Inner Face

Given a plane graph $G$ (i.e., a planar graph with a fixed planar embedding) and a simple cycle $C$ in $G$ whose vertices are mapped to a convex polygon, we consider the question whether this drawing can be extended to a planar straight-line drawing of $G$. We characterize when this is possible in terms of simple necessary conditions, which we prove to be sufficient. This also leads to a linear-time testing algorithm. If a drawing extension exists, it can be computed in the same running time

Convex drawings of graphs with non-convex boundary

Abstract. In this paper, we study a new problem of finding a convex drawing of graphs with a non-convex boundary. It is proved that every triconnected plane graph whose boundary is fixed with a star-shaped polygon admits a drawing in which every inner facial cycle is drawn as a convex polygon. Such a drawing, called an inner-convex drawing, can be obtained in linear time.

Generation of navigation graphs for indoor space

This article proposes a comprehensive approach to computing a navigation graph for an indoor space. It focuses on a single floor, but the work is easily extensible to multi-level spaces. The approach proceeds by using a formal model, based on the combinatorial map but enhanced with geometric and semantic information. The process is almost fully automatic, taking as input the building plans providing the geometric structure of the floors and semantics of the building, such as functions of interior spaces, portals, etc. One of the novel aspects in this work was the use of combinatorial maps and their duals to provide a compact formal description of the topology and connectivity of the indoor structure represented by a connected, embedded graph. While making use of existing libraries for the more routine computational geometry involved, the research develops several new algorithms, including one for computing the local kernel of a region. The process is evaluated by means of a case study using part of a university building