arXiv subjects

Ivan Damnjanović

Publications and source records attributed to Ivan Damnjanović.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Maximum number of spanning trees in bipartite graphs with a given diameter

The number of spanning trees is a classical graph invariant and an important measure of network reliability, as it counts the minimal connected spanning substructures that can maintain communication in a network. Let $\mathcal{B}(n,d)$ be the set of connected bipartite graphs of order $n$ and diameter $d$. Motivated by reliability design problems for bipartite network models with fixed order and diameter, this paper determines all graphs with the maximum number of spanning trees in $\mathcal{B}(n,d)$. The result gives an extremal characterization of bipartite network topologies with the largest number of connected spanning backbones under prescribed order and diameter constraints, and provides a structural reference for the design of reliable bipartite networks.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Computation of small reflective and dihedral Ramsey numbers

Throughout, all graphs are simple, finite and have vertex sets of the form $\{ 0, 1, 2, \ldots, n - 1 \}$ for some $n \in \mathbb{N}$. For graphs $G$ and $H$, and a permutation group $Γ$ on the vertex set of $H$, we say that $H$ is $Γ$-embeddable in $G$ if there exists a graph homomorphism from $H$ to $G$ of the form $ψ\circ φ$, where $φ\in Γ$ and $ψ$ is an increasing injection. Recently, standard and ordered Ramsey numbers of graphs were unified through the introduction of permutational Ramsey numbers, defined as follows. For graphs $H_1, H_2, \ldots, H_k$ and permutation groups $Γ_1, Γ_2, \ldots, Γ_k$ on their respective vertex sets, the permutational Ramsey number $R(H_1^{Γ_1}, H_2^{Γ_2}, \ldots, H_k^{Γ_k})$ is the minimum $n \in \mathbb{N}$ such that for every $k$-edge-coloring of a complete graph on $n$ vertices, there exists some $j \in \{1, 2, \ldots, k\}$ for which $H_j$ is $Γ_j$-embeddable in the spanning subgraph of the complete graph comprising the edges of color $j$. Here, we consider reflective (resp. dihedral) Ramsey numbers, which are a specific class of permutational Ramsey numbers in which each group $Γ_j$ is the reflection group (resp. dihedral group) on the naturally ordered vertex set of $H_j$. Focusing on the two-color case, we apply the SAT-based approach originally proposed by Poljak for ordered Ramsey numbers and recently extended to cyclic Ramsey numbers. We utilize the Kissat SAT solver to obtain exact values and lower bounds for small reflective and dihedral Ramsey numbers whose two arguments belong to the following graph classes: monotone and alternating paths, monotone cycles, start-central stars, complete graphs and nested matchings. We also derive several general results and formulate conjectures based on the computational findings.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Edge transmission irregular graphs

The transmission of a vertex $v$ in a connected graph $G$ is the sum of distances from $v$ to all vertices in $G$. A transmission irregular (TI) graph is a connected graph in which any two distinct vertices have different transmissions. We extend the concept of transmission to edges by defining the transmission of an edge as the sum of the transmissions of its two endpoints. A connected graph can now be called edge transmission irregular (ETI) if any two distinct edges have different transmissions. We show that almost all graphs are not ETI and then investigate several related order realizability problems involving chemical ETI graphs. In particular, we prove that for every $n \ge 15$, there exists a subcubic tree of order $n$ that is both TI and ETI.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Upper bounds for the Laplacian spectral radius: Proofs and counterexamples

The Laplacian spectral radius of a graph is the largest eigenvalue of its Laplacian matrix. Previously, upper bounds for the Laplacian spectral radius were proposed using a backward-reconstruction procedure starting from expressions equal to $2x$ and substituting local degree data. A numbered list of 68 such candidate bounds was subsequently investigated, resulting in the refutation of 30 of these bounds; two additional bounds were later refuted in a separate study. This paper updates the status of the remaining 36 candidate bounds. Of these remaining bounds, we confirm 22 and refute 12, leaving only two upper bounds open. The valid bounds follow primarily from classical Laplacian spectral radius bounds and the Collatz--Wielandt comparison; the refutations are carried out through explicit counterexamples relying on equitable partitions.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

A polynomial GCD certificate for exact flat bands in finite-range Bloch Hamiltonians

We formulate a polynomial GCD certificate for exact flat bands in finite-range periodic tight-binding Hamiltonians. Writing the characteristic polynomial of the Bloch Hamiltonian as a Laurent polynomial $ P_L(\mathbf{z},λ)=\det(λI-H_B(\mathbf{z}))=\sum_{\mathbf{t}}c_{\mathbf{t}}(λ)\mathbf{z}^{\mathbf{t}}, $ we show that the monic greatest common divisor $G_L(λ)=\gcd_{\mathbf{t}}c_{\mathbf{t}}(λ)$ is precisely the maximum factor of $P_L$ that depends only on the energy variable. Its roots are exactly the exact flat-band energies, and their multiplicities give common algebraic multiplicities of these flat bands throughout the Brillouin zone. The coefficient-vanishing criterion underlying this statement is known in the flat-band and periodic-graph literature; the contribution emphasized here is the compact GCD formulation, its unit cell and Bloch-gauge invariance, and its use as a symbolic computation tool for hopping parameter engineering. The method is illustrated on kagome, dice and octahedron-chain examples, including weighted kagome and dice lattices. The certificate detects exact dispersionless eigenvalues; compact localized states, band touching and topological character must be analyzed in a subsequent eigenvector or projector calculation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Some results on small ordered and cyclic Ramsey numbers

Let $k \in \mathbb{N}$ and let $H_1, H_2, \ldots, H_k$ be simple graphs such that for each $j \in \{ 1, 2, \ldots, k \}$, the vertex set of $H_j$ is $\{ 0, 1, 2, \ldots, n_j - 1 \}$ for some $n_j \in \mathbb{N}$. The ordered Ramsey number $R_\mathrm{ord}(H_1, H_2, \ldots, H_k)$ is the smallest $n \in \mathbb{N}$ for which every $k$-edge-coloring of the complete graph on the vertex set $\{ 0, 1, 2, \ldots, n - 1 \}$ contains $H_j$ as a monochromatic subgraph of color $j$ for some $j \in \{ 1, 2, \ldots, k \}$, with the vertices appearing in the same order as in $H_j$. Inspired by the work of Poljak, we apply the Kissat SAT solver to determine new small two-color ordered Ramsey numbers of various classes of graphs: monotone paths, monotone cycles, alternating paths, stars, complete graphs and nested matchings. In addition, we introduce the cyclic Ramsey numbers $R_\mathrm{cyc}(H_1, H_2, \ldots, H_k)$ as a natural relaxation of the ordered Ramsey numbers, and once again use Kissat to determine various such numbers for the two-color case. By observing structural patterns in the computational results, we determine all ordered or cyclic Ramsey numbers for several pairs of classes of graphs. Furthermore, we obtain some bounds on ordered and cyclic Ramsey numbers where one argument is a connected graph, while the other is a monotone path or a monotone cycle. We also explore how reinforcement learning can be used through the recently developed Reinforcement Learning for Graph Theory (RLGT) framework to obtain lower bounds on ordered and cyclic Ramsey numbers. Finally, we introduce the permutational Ramsey numbers to show how the different Ramsey-type formulations involving standard, ordered and cyclic Ramsey numbers can be unified within a group-theoretic framework.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

RLGT: A reinforcement learning framework for extremal graph theory

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a subfield of machine learning that focuses on developing models that can autonomously learn optimal decision-making strategies over time. In a recent pioneering paper, Wagner demonstrated how the Deep Cross-Entropy RL method can be applied to tackle various problems from extremal graph theory by reformulating them as combinatorial optimization problems. Subsequently, many researchers became interested in refining and extending the framework introduced by Wagner, thereby creating various RL environments specialized for graph theory. Moreover, a number of problems from extremal graph theory were solved through the use of RL. In particular, several inequalities concerning the Laplacian spectral radius of graphs were refuted, new lower bounds were obtained for certain Ramsey numbers, and contributions were made to the Turán-type extremal problem in which the forbidden structures are cycles of length three and four. Here, we present Reinforcement Learning for Graph Theory (RLGT), a novel RL framework that systematizes the previous work and provides support for both undirected and directed graphs, with or without loops, and with an arbitrary number of edge colors. The framework efficiently represents graphs and aims to facilitate future RL-based research in extremal graph theory through optimized computational performance and a clean and modular design.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2026

Vertex-transitive nut graph order-degree existence problem

A nut graph is a nontrivial simple graph whose adjacency matrix has a simple eigenvalue zero such that the corresponding eigenvector has no zero entries. It is known that the order $n$ and degree $d$ of a vertex-transitive nut graph satisfy $4 \mid d$, $d \ge 4$, $2 \mid n$ and $n \ge d + 4$; or $d \equiv 2 \pmod 4$, $d \ge 6$, $4 \mid n$ and $n \ge d + 6$. Here, we prove that for each such $n$ and $d$, there exists a $d$-regular Cayley nut graph of order $n$. As a direct consequence, we obtain all the pairs $(n, d)$ for which there is a $d$-regular vertex-transitive (resp. Cayley) nut graph of order $n$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

On the transmission irregular trees with the maximum Wiener index

The transmission of a vertex $v$ in a (chemical) graph $G$ is the sum of distances from $v$ to other vertices in $G$. If any two vertices of $G$ have different transmissions, then $G$ is transmission irregular. The Wiener index $W(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the sum of all distances between all unordered pairs of vertices in $G$, which has another formula as the half of the sum of transmissions of all vertices of $G$. In this paper, we consider the Wiener index maximization problem on the set of transmission irregular trees of a given order $n \in \mathbb{N}$. We solve the problem for all odd values of $n$ and for almost all even values of $n$. Each resolved extremal problem has a unique solution that is a chemical tree.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

Maximum number of spanning trees and connectivity: Graphs with a fixed minimum degree and bipartite graphs

The number of spanning trees in a graph $G$ is the total number of distinct spanning subgraphs of $G$ that are trees. In this paper we characterize the unique graph with a prescribed vertex (resp. edge) connectivity, minimum degree and order that attains the maximum number of spanning trees. Moreover, all the bipartite graphs are determined with a given vertex (resp. edge) connectivity and order maximizing the number of spanning trees.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

Classification of borderenergetic chemical graphs and borderenergetic graphs of order 12

The energy $E(G)$ of a simple graph $G$ is the sum of absolute values of the eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix. A borderenergetic graph of order $n \in \mathbb{N}$ is any noncomplete graph~$G$ such that $E(G) = E(K_n) = 2n - 2$. Here we combine two-phase computer-assisted search with theoretical arguments to show that there are only three borderenergetic chemical graphs, thus completing the earlier findings of Li, Wei and Zhu [MATCH Commun. Math. Comput. Chem. 77 (2017), 25-36]. We perform two-phase computer-assisted search to also find all $566$ borderenergetic graphs of order~$12$, thereby correcting and extending the results from a previous search performed by Furtula and Gutman [Iranian J. Math. Chem. 8(4) (2017), 339-344].

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

On the degrees of regular nut graphs and Cayley nut graphs

A nut graph is a simple graph for which the adjacency matrix has a single zero eigenvalue such that all non-zero kernel eigenvectors have no zero entry. It is known that infinitely many $d$-regular nut graphs exist for $3 \leq d \leq 12$ and for $d \geq 4$ such that $d \equiv 0 \pmod{4}$. Here it is shown that infinitely many $d$-regular nut graphs exist for each degree $d \geq 3$. Moreover, we prove that there are infinitely many $d$-regular Cayley nut graphs for each even $d \ge 4$. This implies that we have identified all feasible degrees $d$ for which a $d$-regular Cayley nut graph exists.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

On the maximum spectral radius of connected graphs with a prescribed order and size

The spectral radius of a graph is the largest modulus of an eigenvalue of its adjacency matrix. Let $\mathcal{C}_{n, e}$ be the set of all the connected simple graphs with $n$ vertices and $n - 1 + e$ edges. Here, we solve the spectral radius maximization problem on $\mathcal{C}_{n, e}$ when $e \le 130$ or $n \ge e + 2 + 13\sqrt{e}$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

$q$-numerical radius of rank-one operators and the generalized Buzano inequality

Here, we study the $q$-numerical radius of rank-one operators on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. More precisely, for $q \in [0,1]$ and $a, b \in \mathcal{H}$, we establish the formula \[ ω_q(a \otimes b) = \frac{1}{2}\left(\|a\|\|b\| + q|\langle a, b \rangle| + \sqrt{1-q^2}\sqrt{\|a\|^2\|b\|^2 - |\langle a, b \rangle|^2}\right), \] which represents a generalization of the well-known formula for the numerical radius of a rank-one operator in a Hilbert space, obtained by setting $q = 1$. As a corollary, we also derive a generalization of the classical Buzano inequality.

math.FA↗

arXiv2025

Nut graphs with a prescribed number of vertex and edge orbits

A nut graph is a nontrivial graph whose adjacency matrix has a one-dimensional null space spanned by a vector without zero entries. Recently, it was shown that a nut graph has more edge orbits than vertex orbits. It was also shown that for any even $r \ge 2$ and any $k \ge r + 1$, there exist infinitely many nut graphs with $r$ vertex orbits and $k$ edge orbits. Here, we extend this result by finding all the pairs $(r, k)$ for which there exists a nut graph with $r$ vertex orbits and $k$ edge orbits. In particular, we show that for any $k \ge 2$, there are infinitely many Cayley nut graphs with $k$ edge orbits and $k$ arc orbits.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

An efficient algorithm for generating transmission irregular trees

The transmission of a vertex in a connected graph is the sum of distances from that vertex to all the other vertices. A connected graph is transmission irregular if any two distinct vertices have different transmissions. We present an efficient algorithm that generates all the transmission irregular trees up to a given order, up to isomorphism.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2025

Classification of quartic bicirculant nut graphs

A graph is called a nut graph if zero is its eigenvalue of multiplicity one and its corresponding eigenvector has no zero entries. A graph is a bicirculant if it admits an automorphism with two equally sized vertex orbits. There are four classes of connected quartic bicirculant graphs. We classify the quartic bicirculant graphs that are nut graphs by investigating properties of each of these four classes.

math.CO↗

arXiv2024

Some bounds on the spectral radius of connected threshold graphs

The spectral radius of a graph is the spectral radius of its adjacency matrix. A threshold graph is a simple graph whose vertices can be ordered as $v_1, v_2, \ldots, v_n$, so that for each $2 \le i \le n$, vertex $v_i$ is either adjacent or nonadjacent simultaneously to all of $v_1, v_2, \ldots, v_{i-1}$. Brualdi and Hoffman initially posed and then partially solved the extremal problem of finding the simple graphs with a given number of edges that have the maximum spectral radius. This problem was subsequently completely resolved by Rowlinson. Here, we deal with the similar problem of maximizing the spectral radius over the set of connected simple graphs with a given number of vertices and edges. As shown by Brualdi and Solheid, each such extremal graph is necessarily a threshold graph. We investigate the spectral radii of threshold graphs by relying on computations involving lazy walks. Furthermore, we obtain three lower bounds and one upper bound on the spectral radius of a given connected threshold graph.

math.CO↗