Combinatorics (math.CO)

Abstract: In this paper, we provide bounds for the genus of the pancake graph $\mathbb{P}_n$, burnt pancake graph $\mathbb{BP}_n$, and undirected generalized pancake graph $\mathbb{P}_m(n)$. Our upper bound for $\mathbb{P}_n$ is sharper than the previously-known bound, and the other bounds presented are the first of their kind. Our proofs are constructive and rely on finding an appropriate rotation system (also referred to in the literature as Edmonds' permutation technique) where certain cycles in the graphs we consider become boundaries of regions of a 2-cell embedding. A key ingredient in the proof of our bounds for the genus $\mathbb{P}_n$ and $\mathbb{BP}_n$ is a labeling algorithm of their vertices that allows us to implement rotation systems to bound the number of regions of a 2-cell embedding of said graphs.

Abstract: We study the free path problem, i.e., if we are given two free arrangements of hyperplanes, then we can connect them by free arrangements or not. We prove that if an arrangement $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{A} \setminus \{H,L\}$ are free, then at least one of two among them is free. When $\mathcal{A}$ is in the three dimensional arrangement, we show a stronger statement.

Abstract: For a given graph $G$, the Mostar index $Mo(G)$ is defined as the sum of absolute values of the differences between $n_u(e)$ and $n_v(e)$ over all edges $e=uv$ of $G$, where $n_u(e)$ and $n_v(e)$ are respectively, the number of vertices of $G$ lying closer to $u$ than to $v$ and the number of vertices of $G$ lying closer to $v$ than to $u$. We determine the unique graphs having largest and smallest Mostar index over all trees of order $n$ with fixed parameters such as number of odd vertices, number of vertices of degree two and the number of pendent paths of fixed length. Moreover, we identify the unique graph that minimizes the Mostar index from the class of all trees of order $n$ with fixed number of branch vertices.

Abstract: Let $\mathcal{P}$ be a frame polyomino, a new kind of non-simple polyomino. In this paper we study the $h$-polynomial of $K[\mathcal{P}]$ in terms of the switching rook polynomial of $\mathcal{P}$ using the shellable simplicial complex $\Delta(\mathcal{P})$ attached to $\mathcal{P}$. We provide a suitable shelling order for $\Delta(\mathcal{P})$ in relation to a new combinatorial object, which we call a step of a facet, and we define a bijection between the set of the canonical configuration of $k$ rooks in $\mathcal{P}$ and the facets of $\Delta(\mathcal{P})$ with $k$ steps. Finally we use a famous combinatorial result, due to McMullen and Walkup, about the $h$-vector of a shellable simplicial complex to interpret the $h$-polynomial of $K[\mathcal{P}]$ as the switching rook polynomial of $\mathcal{P}$.

Abstract: We show that very simple continued fractions can be obtained for the ordinary generating functions enumerating permutations or D-permutations with a large number of independent statistics, when each cycle is given a weight $-1$. The proof is based on a simple lemma relating the number of cycles modulo 2 to the numbers of fixed points, cycle peaks (or cycle valleys), and crossings.

Abstract: We encode the states in the noisy violinist chip-firing problem into a sequence of gap lengths, and use this gap-focused perspective to reprove certain statements about final states of flat clusterons.

Abstract: It is known that, if removing some $n$ edges from a graph $\Gamma$ destroys all subgraphs isomorphic to a given finite graph $K$, then all subgraphs isomorphic to $K$ can be destroyed by removing at most $|E(K)|\cdot n$ edges, which form a set invariant with respect to all automorphisms of $\Gamma$. We construct the first examples of (connected) graphs $K$ for which this estimate is not sharp. Our arguments are based on a ``weighted analogue'' of an earlier known estimate for the cost of symmetry.

Abstract: The $k$-matching polytope of a graph is the convex hull of all its matchings of a given size $k$ when they are considered as indicator vectors. In this paper, we prove that the $k$-matching polytope of a bipartite graph is normal, that is, every integer point in its $t$-dilate is the sum of $t$ integers points of the original polytope. This generalizes the known fact that Birkhoff polytopes are normal. As a preliminary result, we prove that for bipartite graphs the $k$-matching polytope is equal to the fractional $k$-matching polytope, having thus the $H$-representation of the polytope. This generalizes the Birkhoff-Von Neumann Theorem which establish that every doubly stochastic matrix can be written as a convex combination of permutation matrices.

Abstract: We investigate the \textit{group irregular strength} $(s_g(G))$ of graphs, i.e the smallest value of $s$ such that for any Abelian group $\Gamma$ of order $s$ exists a function $g\colon E(G) \rightarrow \Gamma$ such that sums of edge labels at every vertex is distinct. We give results for bound and exact values of $(s_g(G))$ for graphs without small stars as components.

Abstract: We demonstrate the power of Experimental Mathematics and Symbolic Computation to study intriguing problems on rational difference equations, studied extensively by Difference Equations giants, Saber Elaydi and Gerry Ladas (and their students and collaborators). In particular we rigorously prove some fascinating conjectures made by Amal Amleh and Gerry Ladas back in 2000. For other conjectures we are content with semi-rigorous proofs. We also extend the work of Emilie Purvine (formerly Hogan) and Doron Zeilberger for rigorously and semi-rigorously proving global asymptotic stability of arbitrary rational difference equations (with positive coefficients), and more generally rational transformations of the positive orthant of $R^k$ into itself

Abstract: A 0-1 matrix $M$ contains another 0-1 matrix $P$ if some submatrix of $M$ can be turned into $P$ by changing any number of $1$-entries to $0$-entries. $M$ is $\mathcal{P}$-saturated where $\mathcal{P}$ is a family of 0-1 matrices if $M$ avoids every element of $\mathcal{P}$ and changing any $0$-entry of $M$ to a $1$-entry introduces a copy of some element of $\mathcal{P}$. The extremal function ex$(n,\mathcal{P})$ and saturation function sat$(n,\mathcal{P})$ are the maximum and minimum possible weight of an $n\times n$ $\mathcal{P}$-saturated 0-1 matrix, respectively, and the semisaturation function ssat$(n,P)$ is the minimum possible weight of an $n\times n$ $\mathcal{P}$-semisaturated 0-1 matrix $M$, i.e., changing any $0$-entry in $M$ to a $1$-entry introduces a new copy of some element of $\mathcal{P}$. We study these functions of multidimensional 0-1 matrices. We give upper bounds on parameters of minimally non-$O(n^{d-1})$ $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices, generalized from minimally nonlinear 0-1 matrices in two dimensions, and we show the existence of infinitely many minimally non-$O(n^{d-1})$ $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices with all dimensions of length greater than $1$. For any positive integers $k,d$ and integer $r\in[0,d-1]$, we construct a family of $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices with both extremal function and saturation function exactly $kn^r$ for sufficiently large $n$. We show that no family of $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices has saturation function strictly between $O(1)$ and $\Theta(n)$ and we construct a family of $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices with bounded saturation function and extremal function $\Omega(n^{d-\epsilon})$ for any $\epsilon>0$. Up to a constant multiplicative factor, we fully settle the problem of characterizing the semisaturation function of families of $d$-dimensional 0-1 matrices, which we prove to always be $\Theta(n^r)$ for some integer $r\in[0,d-1]$.