The classical Hadwiger conjecture dating back to 1940's states that any graph of chromatic number at least $r$ has the clique of order $r$ as a minor. Hadwiger's conjecture is an example of a well studied class of problems asking how large a clique minor one can guarantee in a graph with certain restrictions. One problem of this type asks what is the largest size of a clique minor in a graph on $n$ vertices of independence number $α(G)$ at most $r$. If true Hadwiger's conjecture would imply the existence of a clique minor of order $n/α(G)$. Results of Kuhn and Osthus and Krivelevich and Sudakov imply that if one assumes in addition that $G$ is $H$-free for some bipartite graph $H$ then one can find a polynomially larger clique minor. This has recently been extended to triangle free graphs by Dvořák and Yepremyan, answering a question of Norin. We complete the picture and show that the same is true for arbitrary graph $H$, answering a question of Dvořák and Yepremyan. In particular, we show that any $K_s$-free graph has a clique minor of order $c_s(n/α(G))^{1+\frac{1}{10(s-2) }}$, for some constant $c_s$ depending only on $s$. The exponent in this result is tight up to a constant factor in front of the $\frac{1}{s-2}$ term.
How many cliques can a graph on $n$ vertices have with a forbidden substructure? Extremal problems of this sort have been studied for a long time. This paper studies the maximum possible number of cliques in a graph on $n$ vertices with a forbidden clique subdivision or immersion. We prove for $t$ sufficiently large that every graph on $n \geq t$ vertices with no $K_t$-immersion has at most $2^{t+\log^2 t}n$ cliques, which is sharp apart from the $2^{O(\log^2 t)}$ factor. We also prove that the maximum number of cliques in an $n$-vertex graph with no $K_t$-subdivision is at most $2^{1.817t}n$.…
We prove that for all positive integers $t$, every $n$-vertex graph with no $K_t$-subdivision has at most $2^{50t}n$ cliques. We also prove that asymptotically, such graphs contain at most $2^{(5+o(1))t}n$ cliques, where $o(1)$ tends to zero as $t$ tends to infinity. This strongly answers a question of D. Wood asking if the number of cliques in $n$-vertex graphs with no $K_t$-minor is at most $2^{ct}n$ for some constant $c$.
Here in particular, we give a characterization of Quasi-line Graphs in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs. In general, we prove a necessary and sufficient condition for a graph to be a union of two cliques.
In the study of full bubble model graphs of bounded clique-width and bounded linear clique-width, we determined complete sets of forbidden induced subgraphs, that are minimal in the class of full bubble model graphs. In this note, we show that (almost all of) these graphs are minimal in the class of all graphs. As a corollary, we can give sets of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs for graphs of bounded clique-width and for graphs of bounded linear clique-width for arbitrary bounds.
An undirected graph G is called a VPT graph if it is the vertex intersection graph of a family of paths in a tree. The class of graphs which admit a VPT representation in a host tree with maximum degree at most h is denoted by [h,2,1]. The classes [h,2,1] are closed by taking induced subgraphs, therefore each one can be characterized by a family of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs. In this paper we associate the minimal forbidden induced subgraphs for [h,2,1] which are VPT with (color) h-critical graphs. We describe how to obtain minimal forbidden induced subgraphs from critical graphs, eve…
An interval graph is considered improper if and only if it has a representation such that an interval contains another interval. Previously these have been investigated in terms of balance and minimal forbidden interval subgraphs for the class of 1-improper interval graphs. This paper investigates the minimal forbidden interval sub-graphs further, generalizing results to all p-improper interval graphs. It is apparent that there are many different types of possible minimal forbidden subgraphs that fall into four broad categories.
We prove that for all $r\geq2$ and c>0, every graph of order n with at least cn^{r} cliques of order r contains a complete r-partite graph with each part of size $\lfloor c^{r}\log n \rfloor.$ This result implies a concise form of the Erdős-Stone theorem.
In this paper we show that the conjecture of Lemmens and Seidel of 1973 for systems of equiangular lines with common angle $\arccos (1/5)$ is true. Our main tool is forbidden subgraphs for smallest Seidel eigenvalue $-5$.
In the course of proving the strong perfect graph theorem, Chudnovsky, Robertson, Seymour, and Thomas showed that every perfect graph either belongs to one of five basic classes or admits one of several decompositions. Four of the basic classes are closed under taking induced subgraphs (and have known forbidden subgraph characterizations), while the fifth one, consisting of double-split graphs, is not. A graph is doubled if it is an induced subgraph of a double-split graph. We find the forbidden induced subgraph characterization of doubled graphs; it contains 44 graphs.
In descending generality I survey: five partial orderings of graphs, the induced-subgraph ordering, and examples like perfect, threshold, and mock threshold graphs. The emphasis is on how the induced subgraph ordering differs from other popular orderings and leads to different basic questions.
Although the chromatic number of a graph is not known in general, attempts have been made to find good bounds for the number. Here we prove that for a graph G with two forbidden subgraphs and maximum degree less than or equal to 2ω - 3, χ equals its maximum clique size. We also give examples to show that the condition is necessary.
We provide a new family of $K_k$-free pseudorandom graphs with edge density $Θ(n^{-1/(k-1)})$, matching a recent construction due to Bishnoi, Ihringer and Pepe. As in the former result, the idea is to use large subgraphs of polarity graphs, which are defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$. While their construction required $q$ to be odd, we will give the first construction with $q$ even.
In this note, extending some results of Erdos, Frankl, Rodl, Alexeev, Bollobas and Thomason we determine asymptotically the number of graphs which do not contain certain large subgraphs. In particular, if H_1,...,H_n,... are graphs with chromatic numbers r_1,...,r_n,... and order o(log n), we dermine asymptotically the number of graphs of order n not containing H_n as a subgraph. We also give similar results for induced subgraphs.
We call a graph $G$ pancyclic if it contains at least one cycle of every possible length $m$, for $3\le m\le |V(G)|$. In this paper, we define a new property called chorded pancyclicity. We explore forbidden subgraphs in claw-free graphs sufficient to imply that the graph contains at least one chorded cycle of every possible length $4, 5, \ldots, |V(G)|$. In particular, certain paths and triangles with pendant paths are forbidden.
Given a graph $G$, the strong clique number $ω_2'(G)$ of $G$ is the cardinality of a largest collection of edges every pair of which are incident or connected by an edge in $G$. We study the strong clique number of graphs missing some set of cycle lengths. For a graph $G$ of large enough maximum degree $Δ$, we show among other results the following: $ω_2'(G)\le5Δ^2/4$ if $G$ is triangle-free; $ω_2'(G)\le3(Δ-1)$ if $G$ is $C_4$-free; $ω_2'(G)\leΔ^2$ if $G$ is $C_{2k+1}$-free for some $k\ge 2$. These bounds are attained by natural extremal examples. Our work extends and improves upon previous wo…
In this paper we extend a result about a sufficient condition for Hamiltonicity for finite graphs by Broersma and Veldmann to locally finite graphs. In order to do this we use topological circles within the Freudenthal compactification of a locally finite graph as infinite cycles. The condition we focus on in this paper is in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs, namely being claw-free and a relaxation of being paw-free.
A graph $G$ is $H$-free if it has no induced subgraph isomorphic to $H$, where $H$ is a graph. In this paper, we show that every $\frac{3}{2}$-tough $(P_4 \cup P_{10})$-free graph has a 2-factor. The toughness condition of this result is sharp. Moreover, for any $\varepsilon>0$ there exists a $(2-\varepsilon)$-tough $2P_5$-free graph without a 2-factor. This implies that the graph $P_4 \cup P_{10}$ is best possible for a forbidden subgraph in a sense.
A result due to Gyárfás, Hubenko, and Solymosi (answering a question of Erdös) states that if a graph $G$ on $n$ vertices does not contain $K_{2,2}$ as an induced subgraph yet has at least $c\binom{n}{2}$ edges, then $G$ has a complete subgraph on at least $\frac{c^2}{10}n$ vertices. In this paper we suggest a "higher-dimensional" analogue of the notion of an induced $K_{2,2}$ which allows us to generalize their result to $k$-uniform hypergraphs. Our result also has an interesting consequence in discrete geometry. In particular, it implies that the fractional Helly theorem can be derived as a …
Minimal separators in graphs are an important concept in algorithmic graph theory. In particular, many problems that are NP-hard for general graphs are known to become polynomial-time solvable for classes of graphs with a polynomially bounded number of minimal separators. Several well-known graph classes have this property, including chordal graphs, permutation graphs, circular-arc graphs, and circle graphs. We perform a systematic study of the question which classes of graphs defined by small forbidden induced subgraphs have a polynomially bounded number of minimal separators. We focus on set…
We prove that $\{\overline{K_3}, H\}$-free graphs are not counterexamples to Hadwiger's Conjecture, where $H$ is any one of 33 graphs on seven, eight, or nine vertices, or $H=K_8$. This improves on past results of Plummer-Stiebitz-Toft, Kriesell, and Bosse. The proofs are mostly computer-assisted.
When we study forbidden subgraph conditions guaranteeing graphs to have some properties, a claw (or $K_{1,3}$) frequently appears as one of forbidden subgraphs. Recently, Furuya and Tsuchiya compared two classes generated by different forbidden pairs containing a claw, and characterized one of such classes. In this paper, we give such characterization for three new classes. Furthermore, we give applications of our characterizations to some forbidden subgraph problems.
In 1974, Goodman and Hedetniemi proved that every 2-connected $(K_{1,3},K_{1,3}+e)$-free graph is hamiltonian. This result gave rise many other hamiltonicity conditions for various pairs and triples of forbidden connected subgraphs under additional connectivity conditions. In 1997, it was proved that a single forbidden connected subgraph $R$ in 2-connected graphs can create only a trivial class of hamiltonian graphs (complete graphs) with $R=P_3$. In this paper we prove that a single forbidden subgraph $R$ can create a non trivial class of hamiltonian graphs if $R$ is disconnected: $(\ast1)$ e…
We show that the norm graph constructed in [J. Kollár, L. Rónyai and T. Szabó, Norm-graphs and bipartite Turán numbers, Combinatorica, 16 (1996) 399--406] with $n$ vertices about $\frac{1}{2}n^{2-1/t}$ edges, which contains no copy of $K_{t,(t-1)!+1}$, does not contain a copy of $K_{t+1,(t-1)!-1}$.
We prove a conjecture by Aboulker, Charbit and Naserasr by showing that every oriented graph in which the out-neighborhood of every vertex induces a transitive tournament can be partitioned into two acyclic induced subdigraphs. We prove multiple extensions of this result to larger classes of digraphs defined by a finite list of forbidden induced subdigraphs. We thereby resolve several special cases of an extension of the famous Gyárfás-Sumner conjecture to directed graphs by Aboulker et al.
Fix $k \ge 2$ and let $H$ be a graph with $χ(H) = k+1$ containing a critical edge. We show that for sufficiently large $n$, the unique $n$-vertex $H$-free graph containing the maximum number of cycles is $T_k(n)$. This resolves both a question and a conjecture of Arman, Gunderson and Tsaturian.
In this paper we deal with a Turán-type problem: given a positive integer n and a forbidden graph H, how many edges can there be in a graph on n vertices without a subgraph H? How does a graph look like if it has this extremal edge number? The forbidden graph in this article is a clique-path: a path of length k where each edge is extended to an r-clique, r >2. We determine both the extremal number and the extremal graphs for sufficiently large n.
A unit disk graph is the intersection graph of disks of equal radii in the plane. The class of unit disk graphs is hereditary, and therefore admits a characterization in terms of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs. In spite of quite active study of unit disk graphs very little is known about minimal forbidden induced subgraphs for this class. We found only finitely many minimal non unit disk graphs in the literature. In this paper we study in a systematic way forbidden induced subgraphs for the class of unit disk graphs. We develop several structural and geometrical tools, and use them to rev…
A graph $G$ has $p$-intersection number at most $d$ if it is possible to assign to every vertex $u$ of $G$, a subset $S(u)$ of some ground set $U$ with $|U|=d$ in such a way that distinct vertices $u$ and $v$ of $G$ are adjacent in $G$ if and only if $|S(u)\cap S(v)|\geq p$. We show that every minimal forbidden induced subgraph for the hereditary class ${\cal G}(d,p)$ of graphs whose $p$-intersection number is at most $d$, has order at most $3\cdot 2^{d+1}+1$, and that the exponential dependence on $d$ in this upper bound is necessary. For $p\in \{ d-1,d-2\}$, we provide more explicit results …
Let C be a finite connected graph for which there is a countable universal C-free graph, and whose tree of blocks is a path. Then the blocks of C are complete. This generalizes a result of Furedi and Komjath, and fits naturally into a set of conjectures regarding the existence of countable C-free graphs, with C an arbitrary finite connected graph.
We consider the structure of $H$-free subgraphs of graphs with high minimal degree. We prove that for every $k>m$ there exists an $ε:=ε(k,m)>0$ so that the following holds. For every graph $H$ with chromatic number $k$ from which one can delete an edge and reduce the chromatic number, and for every graph $G$ on $n>n_0(H)$ vertices in which all degrees are at least $(1-ε)n$, any subgraph of $G$ which is $H$-free and contains the maximum number of copies of the complete graph $K_m$ is $(k-1)$-colorable. We also consider several extensions for the case of a general forbidden graph $H$ of a given …
Reed Conjecture is open for more than 20 years now. Here we prove that Reed Conjecture is valid for (1) {P4UnionK1, Kite}-free graphs (2) {Chair, Kite}-free graphs (3) {K2UnionK2complement , H}-free graphs and (4) {2K2, M}-free graphs where H and M are graphs on six vertices each. Reed conjecture is still open in general.
In a series of papers, of which this is the first, we study sufficient conditions for Hamiltonicity in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs and extend such results to locally finite infinite graphs. For this we use topological circles within the Freudenthal compactification of a locally finite graph as infinite cycles. In this paper we focus on conditions involving claws, nets and bulls as induced subgraphs. We extend Hamiltonicity results for finite claw-free and net-free graphs by Shepherd to locally finite graphs. Moreover, we generalise a classification of finite claw-free and net-free gra…
For a bipartite graph G, let h(G) be the largest t such that either G or the bipartite complement of G contain K_{t,t}. For a class F of graphs, let h(F)= min {h(G): G\in F}. We say that a bipartite graph H is strongly acyclic if neither H nor its bipartite complement contain a cycle. By Forb(n, H) we denote a set of bipartite graphs with parts of sizes n each, that do not contain H as an induced bipartite subgraph respecting the sides. One can easily show that h(Forb(n,H))= O(n^{1-s}) for a positive s if H is not strongly acyclic. Here, we prove that h(Forb(n, H)) is linear in n for all stron…
Motivated in part by an observation that the zero forcing number for the complement of a tree on $n$ vertices is either $n-3$ or $n-1$ in one exceptional case, we consider the zero forcing number for the complement of more general graphs under some conditions, particularly those that do not contain complete bipartite subgraphs. We also move well beyond trees and completely study all of the possible zero forcing numbers for the complements of unicyclic graphs and cactus graphs.
We discover new hereditary classes of graphs that are minimal (with respect to set inclusion) of unbounded clique-width. The new examples include split permutation graphs and bichain graphs. Each of these classes is characterised by a finite list of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs. These, therefore, disprove a conjecture due to Daligault, Rao and Thomasse from 2010 claiming that all such minimal classes must be defined by infinitely many forbidden induced subgraphs. In the same paper, Daligault, Rao and Thomasse make another conjecture that every hereditary class of unbounded clique-width …
The two-player, complete information game of Cops and Robber is played on undirected finite graphs. A number of cops and one robber are positioned on vertices and take turns in sliding along edges. The cops win if, after a move, a cop and the robber are on the same vertex. The minimum number of cops needed to catch the robber on a graph is called the cop number of that graph. In this paper, we study the cop number in the classes of graphs defined by forbidding one or more graphs as either subgraphs or induced subgraphs. In the case of a single forbidden graph we completely characterize (for bo…
Problem of finding an optimal upper bound for the chromatic no. of a graph is still open and very hard. Borodin and Kostochka Conjecture is still open and if proved will improve Brook bound on Chromatic no. of a graph. Here we prove Borodin & Kostochka Conjecture for (1) (P4 Union K1)-free (2) P5-free (3) Chair-free graphs and 4) graphs with dense neighbourhoods. Certain known results follow as Corollaries.
For a given graph $R$, a graph $G$ is $R$-free if $G$ does not contain $R$ as an induced subgraph. It is known that every $2$-tough graph with at least three vertices has a $2$-factor. In graphs with restricted structures, it was shown that every $2K_2$-free $3/2$-tough graph with at least three vertices has a $2$-factor, and the toughness bound $3/2$ is best possible. In viewing $2K_2$, the disjoint union of two edges, as a linear forest, in this paper, for any linear forest $R$ on 5, 6, or 7 vertices, we find the sharp toughness bound $t$ such that every $t$-tough $R$-free graph on at least …
Let $\mathbf{k} := (k_1,\dots,k_s)$ be a sequence of natural numbers. For a graph $G$, let $F(G;\mathbf{k})$ denote the number of colourings of the edges of $G$ with colours $1,\dots,s$ such that, for every $c \in \{1,\dots,s\}$, the edges of colour $c$ contain no clique of order $k_c$. Write $F(n;\mathbf{k})$ to denote the maximum of $F(G;\mathbf{k})$ over all graphs $G$ on $n$ vertices. This problem was first considered by Erdős and Rothschild in 1974, but it has been solved only for a very small number of non-trivial cases. We prove that, for every $\mathbf{k}$ and $n$, there is a complete …
We present sharp inequalities relating the number of vertices, edges, and triangles of a graph to the smallest eigenvalue of its adjacency matrix and the largest eigenvalue of its Laplacian.
The Caccetta-Haggkvist conjecture made in 1978 asserts that every orgraph on n vertices without oriented cycles of length <= l must contain a vertex of outdegree at most (n-1)/l. It has a rather elaborate set of (conjectured) extremal configurations. In this paper we consider the case l=3 that received quite a significant attention in the literature. We identify three orgraphs on four vertices each that are missing as an induced subgraph in all known extremal examples and prove the Caccetta-Haggkvist conjecture for orgraphs missing as induced subgraphs any of these orgraphs, along with cycles …
For every graph $X$, we consider the class of all connected $\{K_{1,3}, X\}$-free graphs which are distinct from an odd cycle and have independence number at least $4$, and we show that all graphs in the class are perfect if and only if $X$ is an induced subgraph of some of $P_6$, $K_1 \cup P_5$, $2P_3$, $Z_2$ or $K_1 \cup Z_1$. Furthermore, for $X$ chosen as $2K_1 \cup K_3$, we list all eight imperfect graphs belonging to the class; and for every other choice of $X$, we show that there are infinitely many such graphs. In addition, for $X$ chosen as $B_{1,2}$, we describe the structure of all …
In this paper we raise a variant of a classic problem in extremal graph theory, which is motivated by a design of fractional repetition codes, a model in distributed storage systems. For any feasible positive integers $d\geq 3$, $n \geq 3$, and $k$, where $n-1 \leq k \leq \binom{n}{2}$, what is the minimum possible number of vertices in a $d$-regular undirected graph whose subgraphs with $n$ vertices contain at most $k$ edges? The goal of this paper is to give the exact number of vertices for each instance of the problem and also to provide some bounds for general values of $n$, $d$, and $k$. …
