The Hamiltonian cycle polynomial can be evaluated to count the number of Hamiltonian cycles in a graph. It can also be viewed as a list of all spanning cycles of length $n$. We adopt the latter perspective and present a pair of original proofs for the Hamiltonian cycle identity which relates the Hamiltonian cycle polynomial to the important determinant and permanent polynomials. The first proof is a more accessible combinatorial argument. The second proof relies on viewing polynomials as both linear algebraic and combinatorial objects whose monomials form lists of graphs. Finally, a similar identity is derived for the Hamiltonian path polynomial.
In 1990, Hendry conjectured that every Hamiltonian chordal graph is cycle extendible; that is, the vertices of any non-Hamiltonian cycle are contained in a cycle of length one greater. We disprove this conjecture by constructing counterexamples on $n$ vertices for any $n \geq 15$. Furthermore, we show that there exist counterexamples where the ratio of the length of a non-extendible cycle to the total number of vertices can be made arbitrarily small. We then consider cycle extendibility in Hamiltonian chordal graphs where certain induced subgraphs are forbidden, notably $P_n$ and the bull.
A $c$-edge-colored multigraph has each edge colored with one of the $c$ available colors and no two parallel edges have the same color. A proper Hamiltonian cycle is a cycle containing all the vertices of the multigraph such that no two adjacent edges have the same color. In this work we establish sufficient conditions for a multigraph to have a proper Hamiltonian cycle, depending on several parameters such as the number of edges and the rainbow degree.
A supergrid graph is a finite induced subgraph of the infinite graph associated with the two-dimensional supergrid. The supergrid graphs contain grid graphs and triangular grid graphs as subgraphs. The Hamiltonian cycle problem for grid and triangular grid graphs was known to be NP-complete. In the past, we have shown that the Hamiltonian cycle problem for supergrid graphs is also NP-complete. The Hamiltonian cycle problem on supergrid graphs can be applied to control the stitching trace of computerized sewing machines. In this paper, we will study the Hamiltonian cycle property of linear-conv…
In 1990, Hendry conjectured that all Hamiltonian chordal graphs are cycle extendable. After a series of papers confirming the conjecture for a number of graph classes, the conjecture is yet refuted by Lafond and Seamone in 2015. Given that their counterexamples are not strongly chordal graphs and they are all only $2$-connected, Lafond and Seamone asked the following two questions: (1) Are Hamiltonian strongly chordal graphs cycle extendable? (2) Is there an integer $k$ such that all $k$-connected Hamiltonian chordal graphs are cycle extendable? Later, a conjecture stronger than Hendry's is pr…
The FHCP Challenge Set, comprising of 1001 instances of Hamiltonian cycle problem, is introduced. This set is the first to contain instances of Hamiltonian cycle problem for which the primary difficulty is the underlying graph structure, rather than simply size. A summary of the kinds of graphs contained in the FHCP Challenge Set is given. A discussion of the results of the FHCP Challenge, a year-long competition to solve all instances of the FHCP Challenge Set first announced at the 59th Annual Meeting for the Australian Mathematical Society, is also included.
We consider the irreducibility of switch-based Markov chains for the approximate uniform sampling of Hamiltonian cycles in a given undirected dense graph on $n$ vertices. As our main result, we show that every pair of Hamiltonian cycles in a graph with minimum degree at least $n/2+7$ can be transformed into each other by switch operations of size at most $10$, implying that the switch Markov chain using switches of size at most $10$ is irreducible. As a proof of concept, we also show that this Markov chain is rapidly mixing on dense monotone graphs.
Szepietowski [A. Szepietowski, Hamiltonian cycles in hypercubes with $2n-4$ faulty edges, Information Sciences, 215 (2012) 75--82] observed that the hypercube $Q_n$ is not Hamiltonian if it contains a trap disconnected halfway. A proper subgraph $T$ is disconnected halfway if at least half of its nodes have parity 0 (or 1, resp.) and the edges joining all nodes of parity 0 (or 1, resp.) in $T$ with nodes outside $T$, are faulty. The simplest examples of such traps are: (1) a vertex with $n-1$ incident faulty edges, or (2) a cycle $(u,v,w,x)$, where all edges going out of the cycle from $u$ and…
We consider a direct conversion of the, classical, set splitting problem to the directed Hamiltonian cycle problem. A constructive procedure for such a conversion is given, and it is shown that the input size of the converted instance is a linear function of the input size of the original instance. A proof that the two instances are equivalent is given, and a procedure for identifying a solution to the original instance from a solution of the converted instance is also provided. We conclude with two examples of set splitting problem instances, one with solutions and one without, and display th…
The generalised Sudoku problem with $N$ symbols is known to be NP-complete, and hence is equivalent to any other NP-complete problem, even for the standard restricted version where $N$ is a perfect square. In particular, generalised Sudoku is equivalent to the, classical, Hamiltonian cycle problem. A constructive algorithm is given that reduces generalised Sudoku to the Hamiltonian cycle problem, where the resultant instance of Hamiltonian cycle problem is sparse, and has $O(N^3)$ vertices. The Hamiltonian cycle problem instance so constructed is a directed graph, and so a (known) conversion t…
We fully disprove a conjecture of Haythorpe on the minimum number of hamiltonian cycles in regular hamiltonian graphs, thereby extending a result of Zamfirescu, as well as correct and complement Haythorpe's computational enumerative results from [Experim. Math. 27 (2018) 426-430]. Thereafter, we use the Lovász Local Lemma to extend Thomassen's independent dominating set method. Regarding the limitations of this method, we answer a question of Haxell, Seamone, and Verstraete, and settle the first open case of a problem of Thomassen. Motivated by an observation of Aldred and Thomassen, we prove …
We introduce and study a $d$-dimensional generalization of Hamiltonian cycles in graphs - the Hamiltonian $d$-cycles in $K_n^d$ (the complete simplicial $d$-complex over a vertex set of size $n$). Those are the simple $d$-cycles of a complete rank, or, equivalently, of size $1 + {{n-1} \choose d}$. The discussion is restricted to the fields $F_2$ and $Q$. For $d=2$, we characterize the $n$'s for which Hamiltonian $2$-cycles exist. For $d=3$ it is shown that Hamiltonian $3$-cycles exist for infinitely many $n$'s. In general, it is shown that there always exist simple $d$-cycles of size ${{n-1} …
Necessary condition to have Hamiltonian cycle in planar graph is given. Examples of regular planar graphs degree three without Hamiltonian cycle are built.
We prove new lower bounds on the crossing number of a complete graphs assuming that it is drawn in such a way that it contains a Hamiltonian cycle with no crossings.
Let $G$ be a finite group. We show that if $|G| = pqrs$, where $p$, $q$, $r$, and $s$ are distinct odd primes, then every connected Cayley graph on $G$ has a hamiltonian cycle.
We first prove a one-to-one correspondence between finding Hamiltonian cycles in a cubic planar graphs and finding trees with specific properties in dual graphs. Using this information, we construct an exact algorithm for finding Hamiltonian cycles in cubic planar graphs. The worst case time complexity of our algorithm is O$(2^n)$.
It is shown that a hamiltonian $n/2$-regular bipartite graph $G$ of order $2n>8$ contains a cycle of length $2n-2$. Moreover, if such a cycle can be chosen to omit a pair of adjacent vertices, then $G$ is bipancyclic.
Following Penrose, we introduce a family of graph functions defined in terms of contractions of certain products of symmetric tensors along the edges of a graph. Special cases of these functions enumerate edge colorings and cycles of arbitrary length in graphs (in particular, Hamiltonian cycles).
We prove that a tournament and its complement contain the same number of oriented Hamiltonian paths (resp. cycles) of any given type, as a generalization of Rosenfeld's result proved for antidirected paths.
We study sufficient conditions for Hamiltonian cycles in hypergraphs, and obtain both Turán- and Dirac-type results. While the Turán-type result gives an exact threshold for the appearance of a Hamiltonian cycle in a hypergraph depending only on the extremal number of a certain path, the Dirac-type result yields a sufficient condition relying solely on the minimum vertex degree.
Whitney proved in 1931 that every 4-connected planar triangulation is hamiltonian. Later in 1979, Hakimi, Schmeichel and Thomassen conjectured that every such triangulation on $n$ vertices has at least $2(n - 2)(n - 4)$ hamiltonian cycles. Along this direction, Brinkmann, Souffriau and Van Cleemput established a linear lower bound on the number of hamiltonian cycles in 4-connected planar triangulations. In stark contrast, Alahmadi, Aldred and Thomassen showed that every 5-connected triangulation of the plane or the projective plane has exponentially many hamiltonian cycles. This gives the moti…
In this article we discuss the question of presence of Hamiltonian cycle in the un-directed power graph of a group. In the process we develop weighted Hamiltonian cycle concept and prove a few general results regarding the Hamiltonian question.
If $G$ is a claw-free hamiltonian graph of order $n$ and maximum degree $Δ$ with $Δ\geq 24$, then $G$ has cycles of at least $\min\left\{ n,\left\lceil\frac{3}{2}Δ\right\rceil\right\}-2$ many different lengths.
We enumerate labelled and unlabelled Hamiltonian cycles in complete $n$-partite graphs $K_{d,d,\ldots,d}$ having exactly $d$ vertices in each part (in other words, Turán graphs $T(nd, n))$. We obtain recurrence relations that allow us to find the exact values $b_{n}^{(d)}$ of such cycles for arbitrary $n$ and $d$
Whitney proved in 1931 that 4-connected planar triangulations are Hamiltonian. Hakimi, Schmeichel, and Thomassen conjectured in 1979 that if $G$ is a 4-connected planar triangulation with $n$ vertices then $G$ contains at least $2(n-2)(n-4)$ Hamiltonian cycles, with equality if and only if $G$ is a double wheel. On the other hand, a recent result of Alahmadi, Aldred, and Thomassen states that there are exponentially many Hamiltonian cycles in 5-connected planar triangulations. In this paper, we consider 4-connected planar $n$-vertex triangulations $G$ that do not have too many separating 4-cyc…
The Bubble-sort graph $BS_n,\,n\geqslant 2$, is a Cayley graph over the symmetric group $Sym_n$ generated by transpositions from the set $\{(1 2), (2 3),\ldots, (n-1 n)\}$. It is a bipartite graph containing all even cycles of length $\ell$, where $4\leqslant \ell\leqslant n!$. We give an explicit combinatorial characterization of all its $4$- and $6$-cycles. Based on this characterization, we define generalized prisms in $BS_n,\,n\geqslant 5$, and present a new approach to construct a Hamiltonian cycle based on these generalized prisms.
In this series of papers, the primary goal is to enumerate Hamiltonian cycles (HC's) on the grid cylinder graphs $P_{m+1}\times C_n$, where $n$ is allowed to grow whilst $m$ is fixed. In Part~I, we studied the so-called non-contractible HC's. Here, in Part~II, we proceed further on to the contractible case. We propose two different novel characterizations of contractible HC's, from which we construct digraphs for enumerating the contractible HC's. Given the impression which the computational data for $m \leq 9$ convey, we conjecture that the asymptotic domination of the contractible HC's versu…
We prove a new sufficient pair degree condition for tight Hamiltonian cycles in $3$-uniform hypergraphs that (asymptotically) improves the best known pair degree condition due to Rödl, Ruciński, and Szemerédi. For graphs, Chvátal characterised all those sequences of integers for which every pointwise larger (or equal) degree sequence guarantees the existence of a Hamiltonian cycle. A step towards Chvátal's theorem was taken by Pósa, who improved on Dirac's tight minimum degree condition for Hamiltonian cycles by showing that a certain weaker condition on the degree sequence of a graph already …
Let D be the circulant digraph with n vertices and connection set {2,3,c}. (Assume D is loopless and has outdegree 3.) Work of S.C.Locke and D.Witte implies that if n is a multiple of 6, c is either (n/2) + 2 or (n/2) + 3, and c is even, then D does not have a hamiltonian cycle. For all other cases, we construct a hamiltonian cycle in D.
We present a necessary and sufficient condition for existence of a contractible, non-separating and noncontractible separating Hamiltonian cycle in the edge graph of polyhedral maps on surfaces. In particular, we show the existence of contractible Hamiltonian cycle in equivelar triangulated maps. We also present an algorithm to construct such cycles whenever it exists.
We prove that if an $n$-vertex graph with minimum degree at least $3$ contains a Hamiltonian cycle, then it contains another cycle of length $n-o(n)$; this implies, in particular, that a well-known conjecture of Sheehan from 1975 holds asymptotically. Our methods, which combine constructive, poset-based techniques and non-constructive, parity-based arguments, may be of independent interest.
Hakimi, Schmeichel, and Thomassen in 1979 conjectured that every $4$-connected planar triangulation $G$ on $n$ vertices has at least $2(n-2)(n-4)$ Hamiltonian cycles, with equality if and only if $G$ is a double wheel. In this paper, we show that every $4$-connected planar triangulation on $n$ vertices has $Ω(n^2)$ Hamiltonian cycles. Moreover, we show that if $G$ is a $4$-connected planar triangulation on $n$ vertices and the distance between any two vertices of degree $4$ in $G$ is at least $3$, then $G$ has $2^{Ω(n^{1/4})}$ Hamiltonian cycles.
The enumeration of Hamiltonian cycles on 2n*2n grids of nodes is a longstanding problem in combinatorics. Previous work has concentrated on counting all cycles. The current work enumerates nonisomorphic cycles -- that is, the number of isomorphism classes (up to all symmetry operations of the square). It is shown that the matrix method used previously can be modified to count cycles with all combinations of reflective and 180-degree rotational symmetry. Cycles with 90-degree rotational symmetry were counted by a direct search, using a modification of Knuth's Dancing Links algorithm. From these…
Barnette conjectured that all cubic $3$-connected plane graphs with maximum face size at most $6$ are hamiltonian. We provide a method of construction of a hamiltonian cycle (in dual terms) in an arbitrary cubic, $3$-connected plane graph possessing such a face $g$ that every face incident with $g$ has at most $5$ edges and every other face has at most $6$ edges.
Rosenfeld in 1974 conjectured that there is an integer N > 8 such that every tournament of order n > N contains every non-directed cycle of order n. We prove that, with exactly 35 exceptions, every tournament of order n > 2 contains each non-directed cycle of order m, 2 < m < n+1.
Generalizing a result of Conway, Sloane, and Wilkes for real reflection groups, we show the Cayley graph of an imprimitive complex reflection group with respect to standard generating reflections has a Hamiltonian cycle. This is consistent with the long-standing conjecture that for every finite group, G, and every set of generators, S, of G the undirected Cayley graph of G with respect to S has a Hamiltonian cycle.
A constructive method is provided that outputs a directed graph which is named a broken crown graph, containing $5n-9$ vertices and $k$ Hamiltonian cycles for any choice of integers $n \geq k \geq 4$. The construction is not designed to be minimal in any sense, but rather to ensure that the graphs produced remain non-trivial instances of the Hamiltonian cycle problem even when $k$ is chosen to be much smaller than $n$.
A graph construction that produces a k-regular graph on n vertices for any choice of k >= 3 and n = m(k+1) for integer m >= 2 is described. The number of Hamiltonian cycles in such graphs can be explicitly determined as a function of n and k, and empirical evidence is provided that suggests that this function gives a tight upper bound on the minimum number of Hamiltonian cycles in k-regular graphs on n vertices for k >= 5 and n >= k + 3. An additional graph construction for 4-regular graphs is described for which the number of Hamiltonian cycles is superior to the above function in the case wh…
Firstly, for a general graph, we find a recursion formula on the number of Hamiltonian cycles and one on cycles. By this result, we give some new polynomial invariants. Secondly, we give a condition to tell whether a polynomial defined by recursion on edges is a invariant. Then, we give an generaliztion of the Tutte polynomial. Finally, We have a try on distinguishing different graphs by using these polynomials.
In 1960, Ghouila-Houri extended Dirac's theorem to directed graphs by proving that if D is a directed graph on n vertices with minimum out-degree and in-degree at least n/2 (i.e. minimum semi-degree at least n/2), then D contains a directed Hamiltonian cycle. Of course there are other orientations of a cycle in a directed graph and it is not clear that the semi-degree threshold for the directed Hamiltonian cycle is the same as the semi-degree threshold for some other orientation. In 1980, Grant initiated the problem of determining the minimum semi-degree threshold for the anti-directed Hamilto…
The famous Dirac's Theorem gives an exact bound on the minimum degree of an $n$-vertex graph guaranteeing the existence of a hamiltonian cycle. We prove exact bounds of similar type for hamiltonian Berge cycles in $r$-uniform, $n$-vertex hypergraphs for all $3\leq r< n$. The bounds are different for $r<n/2$ and $r\geq n/2$. We also give bounds on the minimum degree guaranteeing existence of Berge cycles of length at least $k$ in such hypergraphs; the bounds are exact for all $k\geq n/2$.
We present a necessary and sufficient condition for existence of a contractible Hamiltonian Cycle in the edge graph of equivelar maps on surfaces. We also present an algorithm to construct such cycles. This is further generalized and shown to hold for more general maps.
Thomassen conjectured that there is a function $f(k)$ such that every strongly $f(k)$-connected tournament contains $k$ edge-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles. This conjecture was recently proved by Kühn, Lapinskas, Osthus, and Patel who showed that $f(k)\leq O(k^2(\log k)^2)$ and conjectured that there is a constant $C$ such that $f(k)\leq Ck^2$. We prove this conjecture.
We present exponential and super factorial lower bounds on the number of Hamiltonian cycles passing through any edge of the basis graphs of a graphic, generalized Catalan and uniform matroids. All lower bounds were obtained by a common general strategy based on counting appropriated cycles of length four in the corresponding matroid basis graph.
For a finite set $S$ of points in the plane and a graph with vertices on $S$ consider the disks with diameters induced by the edges. We show that for any odd set $S$ there exists a Hamiltonian cycle for which these disks share a point, and for an even set $S$ there exists a Hamiltonian path with the same property. We discuss high-dimensional versions of these theorems and their relation to other results in discrete geometry.
We show that every 4-uniform hypergraph with $n$ vertices and minimum pair degree at least $(5/9+o(1))n^2/2$ contains a tight Hamiltonian cycle. This degree condition is asymptotically optimal.
In this work we present an algorithm with which any arbitrary cubic planar map may be constructed through successive edge insertion while simultaneously constructing a set of proper edge labels and Hamiltonian cycles for each configuration. We present a publicly available Python implementation of this algorithm, and discuss both theoretical and numerical support for its validity, with reference to the well-known Four Colour Theorem.
We show that every $3$-uniform hypergraph $H=(V,E)$ with $|V(H)|=n$ and minimum pair degree at least $(4/5+o(1))n$ contains a squared Hamiltonian cycle. This may be regarded as a first step towards a hypergraph version of the Pósa-Seymour conjecture.
A graph is called $2K_2$-free if it does not contain two independent edges as an induced subgraph. Broersma, Patel, and Pyatkin showed that every 25-tough $2K_2$-free graph with at least three vertices is hamiltonian. In this paper, we improve the required toughness in this result from 25 to 3.
We show that every 3-uniform hypergraph with $n$ vertices and minimum vertex degree at least $(5/9+o(1))\binom{n}2$ contains a tight Hamiltonian cycle. Known lower bound constructions show that this degree condition is asymptotically optimal.
In 1999, Jacobson and Lehel conjectured that for $k \geq 3$, every $k$-regular Hamiltonian graph has cycles of at least linearly many different lengths. This was further strengthened by Verstraëte, who asked whether the regularity can be replaced with the weaker condition that the minimum degree is at least $3$. Despite attention from various researchers, until now, the best partial result towards both of these conjectures was a $\sqrt{n}$ lower bound on the number of cycle lengths. We resolve these conjectures asymptotically, by showing that the number of cycle lengths is at least $n^{1-o(1)}…
Let $G$ be an $n$-vertex graph obtained by adding chords to a cycle of length $n$. Markström asked for the maximum number of edges in $G$ if there are no two cycles in $G$ with the same length. A simple counting argument shows that such a graph can have at most $n + \sqrt{2n} +1 $ edges. Using difference sets in $\mathbb{Z}_n$, we show that for infinitely many $n$, there is an $n$-vertex Hamiltonian graph with $n + \sqrt{n - 3/4} - 3/2$ edges and no repeated cycle length.
