Combinatorics (math.CO)

Abstract: It is currently an unsolved problem to determine whether a $\triangle$-free planar graph $G$ contains an independent set $A$ such that $G[V_G\setminus A]$ is $2$-choosable. However, in this paper, we take a slightly different approach by relaxing the planarity condition. We prove the $\mathbb{NP}$-completeness of the above decision problem when the graph is $\triangle$-free, $4$-colorable, and of diameter $3$. Building upon this notion, we examine the computational complexity of two optimization problems: minimum near $3$-choosability and minimum $2$-choosable deletion. In the former problem, the goal is to find an independent set $A$ of minimum size in a given graph $G$, such that the induced subgraph $G[V_G \setminus A]$ is $2$-choosable. We establish that this problem is $\mathbb{NP}$-hard to approximate within a factor of $|V_G|^{1-\epsilon}$ for any $\epsilon > 0$, even for planar bipartite graphs. On the other hand, the problem of minimum $2$-choosable deletion involves determining a vertex set $A \subseteq V_G$ of minimum cardinality such that the induced subgraph $G[V_G \setminus A]$ is $2$-choosable. We prove that this problem is $\mathbb{NP}$-complete, but can be approximated within a factor of $O(\log |V_G|)$.

Abstract: Cayley graphs are graphs on algebraic structures, typically groups or group-like structures. In this paper, we have obtained a few results on Cayley graphs on Cyclic groups, typically powers of cycles, some colorings of powers of cycles, Cayley graphs on some non-abelian groups, and Cayley graphs on gyrogroups.

Abstract: The Tur\'an number of a graph $F$, denoted $ex(n, F)$, is the maximum number of edges in an $F$-free graph on $n$ vertices. Let $P_{\ell}$, $S_{\ell}$ denote the path and star on $\ell$ vertices, respectively. A linear forest is a forest whose connected components are paths. In 2013, Lidick\'y et al. considered the Tur\'an number of linear forest and $k_1P_4 \bigcup k_2 S_3$ for sufficiently large $n$. Recently, Fang and Yuan determine the Tur\'an numbers of $P_{\ell} \bigcup kS_{\ell-1}$, $k_1P_{2\ell} \bigcup k_2 S_{2\ell-1}$, $2P_5 \bigcup kS_4$ for $n$ appropriately large and characterized the corresponding extremal graphs. In this paper, We determine $ex(n, P_9 \bigcup P_7)$ for all $n\geq 16$ and characterize all extremal graphs, which partially confirms a conjecture proposed by Yuan and Zhang [L.T. Yuan, X.D. Zhang, J. Graph. Theory 98(3) (2021) 499--524]. And we determine the Tur\'an numbers of $\bigcup\limits _{i=1}^{k_1} P_{\ell _i} \bigcup\limits _{j=1}^{k_2} S_{a _j}$ for $n$ appropriately large, where $a_j\leq 2k_2+2 \sum\limits_{i=1}^{k_1} \lfloor\frac{\ell_i}{2}\rfloor-2j$ for any $j\in [k_2]$, which generalizes the results of Fang and Yuan. The corresponding extremal graphs are also completely characterized

Abstract: We introduce a new class of transitive permutation groups which properly contains the automorphism groups of vertex-transitive graphs and digraphs. We then give a sufficient condition for a quotient of this family to remain in the family, showing that relatively straightforward induction arguments may possibly be used to solve problems in this family, and consequently for symmetry questions about vertex-transitive digraphs. As an example of this, for $p$ an odd prime, we use induction to determine the Sylow $p$-subgroups of transitive groups of degree $p^n$ that contain a regular cyclic subgroup in this family. This is enough information to determine the automorphism groups of circulant digraphs of order $p^n$.

Abstract: The skew Schur functions admit many determinantal expressions. Chief among them are the (dual) Jacobi-Trudi formula and Lascoux-Pragacz formula, which is a skew analogue of the Giambelli identity. Comparatively, the skew characters of the symplectic and orthogonal groups, also known as the skew symplectic and orthogonal Schur functions, have received very little attention in this direction. We establish analogues of the dual Jacobi-Trudi and Lascoux-Pragacz formulae for these characters. Our approach is entirely combinatorial, being based on lattice path descriptions of the tableaux models of Koike and Terada.

Abstract: The zero forcing number was introduced as a combinatorial bound on the maximum nullity taken over the set of real symmetric matrices that respect the pattern of an underlying graph. The $Z_q$-forcing game is an analog to the standard zero forcing game which incorporates inertia restrictions on the set of matrices associated with a graph. This work proves an upper bound on the $Z_q$-forcing number for trees. Furthermore, we consider the $Z_q$-forcing number for caterpillar cycles on $n$ vertices. We focus on developing game theoretic proofs of upper and lower bounds.

Abstract: The uniform Tur\'an density $\pi_{1}(F)$ of a $3$-uniform hypergraph $F$ is the supremum over all $d$ for which there is an $F$-free hypergraph with the property that every linearly sized subhypergraph with density at least $d$. Determining $\pi_{1}(F)$ for given hypergraphs $F$ was suggested by Erd\H{o}s and S\'os in 1980s. In particular, they raised the questions of determining $\pi_{1}(K_4^{(3)-})$ and $\pi_{1}(K_4^{(3)})$. The former question was solved recently in [Israel J. Math. 211 (2016), 349-366] and [J. Eur. Math. Soc. 20 (2018), 1139-1159], while the latter is still a major open problem. In addition to $K_4^{(3)-}$, there are very few hypergraphs whose uniform Tur\'an density has been determined. In this paper, we give a sufficient condition for $3$-uniform hypergraphs $F$ satisfying $\pi_{1}(F)=1/4$. In particular, currently all known $3$-uniform hypergraphs whose uniform Tur\'an density is $1/4$, such as $K_4^{(3)-}$ and the $3$-uniform hypergraphs $F^{\star}_5$ studied in [arXiv:2211.12747], satisfy this condition. Moreover, we find some intriguing $3$-uniform hypergraphs whose uniform Tur\'an density is also $1/4$.

Abstract: Finding families that admit a linear $\chi$-binding function is a problem that has interested researchers for a long time. Recently, the question of finding linear subfamilies of $2K_2$-free graphs has garnered much attention. In this paper, we are interested in finding a linear subfamily of a specific superclass of $2K_2$-free graphs, namely $(P_3\cup P_2)$-free graphs. We show that the class of $\{P_3\cup P_2,gem\}$-free graphs admits $f=2\omega$ as a linear $\chi$-binding function. Furthermore, we give examples to show that the optimal $\chi$-binding function $f^*\geq \left\lceil\frac{5\omega(G)}{4}\right\rceil$ for the class of $\{P_3\cup P_2, gem\}$-free graphs and that the $\chi$-binding function $f=2\omega$ is tight when $\omega=2$ and $3$.

Abstract: Working over a field of characteristic other than $2$, we examine a relationship between quadrilaterals and the pencil of conics passing through their vertices. Asymptotically, such a pencil of conics is what we call a bisector field, a set ${\mathbb{B}}$ of paired lines such that each line $\ell$ in ${\mathbb{B}}$ simultaneously bisects each pair in ${\mathbb{B}}$ in the sense that $\ell$ crosses the pairs of lines in ${\mathbb{B}}$ in pairs of points that all share the same midpoint. We show that a quadrilateral induces a geometry on the affine plane via an inner product, under which we examine pencils of conics and pairs of bisectors of a quadrilateral. We show also how bisectors give a new interpretation of some classically studied features of quadrangles, such as the nine-point conic.

Abstract: Hocquard, Kim, and Pierron constructed, for every even integer $D\ge 2$, a 2-degenerate graph $G_D$ with maximum degree $D$ such that $\omega(G_D^2)=\frac52D$. They asked whether (a) there exists $D_0$ such that every 2-degenerate graph $G$ with maximum degree $D\ge D_0$ satisfies $\chi(G^2)\le \frac52D$ and (b) whether this result holds more generally for every graph $G$ with mad(G)<4. In this direction, we prove upper bounds on the clique number $\omega(G^2)$ of $G^2$ that match the lower bound given by this construction, up to small additive constants. We show that if $G$ is 2-degenerate with maximum degree $D$, then $\omega(G^2)\le \frac52D+72$ (with $\omega(G^2)\le \frac52D+60$ when $D$ is sufficiently large). And if $G$ has mad(G)<4 and maximum degree $D$, then $\omega(G^2)\le \frac52D+532$. Thus, the construction of Hocquard et al. is essentially best possible.

Abstract: In this paper, we consider the moments of permutation statistics on conjugacy classes of colored permutation groups. We first show that when the cycle lengths are sufficiently large, the moments of arbitrary permutation statistics are independent of the conjugacy class. For permutation statistics that can be realized via $\textit{symmetric}$ constraints, we show that for a fixed number of colors, each moment is a polynomial in the degree $n$ of the $r$-colored permutation group $\mathfrak{S}_{n,r}$. Hamaker & Rhoades (arXiv 2022) established analogous results for the symmetric group as part of their far-reaching representation-theoretic framework. Independently, Campion Loth, Levet, Liu, Stucky, Sundaram, & Yin (arXiv, 2023) arrived at independence and polynomiality results for the symmetric group using instead an elementary combinatorial framework. Our techniques in this paper build on this latter elementary approach.

Abstract: A map on a surface whose automorphism group has a subgroup acting regularly on its vertices is called a Cayley map. Here we generalize that notion to maniplexes and polytopes. We define $\mathcal{M}$ to be a \emph{Cayley extension} of $\mathcal{K}$ if the facets of $\mathcal{M}$ are isomorphic to $\mathcal{K}$ and if some subgroup of the automorphism group of $\mathcal{M}$ acts regularly on the facets of $\mathcal{M}$. We show that many natural extensions in the literature on maniplexes and polytopes are in fact Cayley extensions. We also describe several universal Cayley extensions. Finally, we examine the automorphism group and symmetry type graph of Cayley extensions.

Abstract: We introduce two refinements of the class of $5/2$-groups, inspired by the classes of automorphism groups of configurations and automorphism groups of unit circulant digraphs. We show that both of these classes have the property that any two regular cyclic subgroups of a group $G$ in either of these classes are conjugate in $G$. This generalizes two results in the literature (and simplifies their proofs) that show that symmetric configurations and unit circulant digraphs are isomorphic if and only if they are isomorphic by a group automorphism of ${\mathbb Z}_n$.