On a generalization of median graphs: kk-median graphs

Median graphs are connected graphs in which for all three vertices there is a unique vertex that belongs to shortest paths between each pair of these three vertices. To be more formal, a graph $G$ is a median graph if, for all $\mu, u,v\in V(G)$, it holds that $|I(\mu,u)\cap I(\mu,v)\cap I(u,v)|=1$ where $I(x,y)$ denotes the set of all vertices that lie on shortest paths connecting $x$ and $y$. In this paper we are interested in a natural generalization of median graphs, called $k$-median graphs. A graph $G$ is a $k$-median graph, if there are $k$ vertices $\mu_1,\dots,\mu_k\in V(G)$ such that, for all $u,v\in V(G)$, it holds that $|I(\mu_i,u)\cap I(\mu_i,v)\cap I(u,v)|=1$, $1\leq i\leq k$. By definition, every median graph with $n$ vertices is an $n$-median graph. We provide several characterizations of $k$-median graphs that, in turn, are used to provide many novel characterizations of median graphs

Groups acting on quasi-median graphs. An introduction

Quasi-median graphs have been introduced by Mulder in 1980 as a generalisation of median graphs, known in geometric group theory to naturally coincide with the class of CAT(0) cube complexes. In his PhD thesis, the author showed that quasi-median graphs may be useful to study groups as well. In the present paper, we propose a gentle introduction to the theory of groups acting on quasi-median graphs.Comment: 16 pages. Comments are welcom

Folding median graphs

Extending Stallings' foldings of trees, we show in this article that every parallel-preserving map between median graphs factors as an isometric embedding through a sequence of elementary transformations which we call foldings and swellings. This new construction proposes a unified point of view on Beeker and Lazarovich's work on folding pocsets and on Ben-Zvi, Kropholler, and Lyman's work on folding nonpositively curved cube complexes.Comment: 45 pages, 5 figures. Comments are welcome

Condorcet Domains, Median Graphs and the Single Crossing Property

Condorcet domains are sets of linear orders with the property that, whenever the preferences of all voters belong to this set, the majority relation has no cycles. We observe that, without loss of generality, such domain can be assumed to be closed in the sense that it contains the majority relation of every profile with an odd number of individuals whose preferences belong to this domain. We show that every closed Condorcet domain is naturally endowed with the structure of a median graph and that, conversely, every median graph is associated with a closed Condorcet domain (which may not be a unique one). The subclass of those Condorcet domains that correspond to linear graphs (chains) are exactly the preference domains with the classical single crossing property. As a corollary, we obtain that the domains with the so-called `representative voter property' (with the exception of a 4-cycle) are the single crossing domains. Maximality of a Condorcet domain imposes additional restrictions on the underlying median graph. We prove that among all trees only the chains can induce maximal Condorcet domains, and we characterize the single crossing domains that in fact do correspond to maximal Condorcet domains. Finally, using Nehring's and Puppe's (2007) characterization of monotone Arrowian aggregation, our analysis yields a rich class of strategy-proof social choice functions on any closed Condorcet domain

Sparse Median Graphs Estimation in a High Dimensional Semiparametric Model

In this manuscript a unified framework for conducting inference on complex aggregated data in high dimensional settings is proposed. The data are assumed to be a collection of multiple non-Gaussian realizations with underlying undirected graphical structures. Utilizing the concept of median graphs in summarizing the commonality across these graphical structures, a novel semiparametric approach to modeling such complex aggregated data is provided along with robust estimation of the median graph, which is assumed to be sparse. The estimator is proved to be consistent in graph recovery and an upper bound on the rate of convergence is given. Experiments on both synthetic and real datasets are conducted to illustrate the empirical usefulness of the proposed models and methods

Two relations for median graphs

AbstractWe generalize the well-known relation for trees n−m=1 to the class of median graphs in the following way. Denote by qi the number of subgraphs isomorphic to the hypercube Qi in a median graph. Then, ∑i⩾0(−1)iqi=1. We also give an explicit formula for the number of Θ-classes in a median graph as k=−∑i⩾0(−1)iiqi

The structure of median graphs

AbstractA median graph is a connected graph, such that for any three vertices u,ν and w there is exactly one vertex x that lies simultaneously on a shortest (u, ν)-path a shortest (ν, w)-path and a shortest (w, u)-path. It is proved that a median graph can be obtained from a one-vertex graph by an expansion procedure. From this characterization some nice properties are derived