arXiv subjects

Joshua Erde

Publications and source records attributed to Joshua Erde.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Ubiquity in graphs I: Topological ubiquity of trees

Let $\triangleleft$ be a relation between graphs. We say a graph $G$ is \emph{$\triangleleft$-ubiquitous} if whenever $Γ$ is a graph with $nG \triangleleft Γ$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$, then one also has $\aleph_0 G \triangleleft Γ$, where $αG$ is the disjoint union of $α$ many copies of $G$. The \emph{Ubiquity Conjecture} of Andreae, a well-known open problem in the theory of infinite graphs, asserts that every locally finite connected graph is ubiquitous with respect to the minor relation. In this paper, which is the first of a series of papers making progress towards the Ubiquity Conjecture, we show that all trees are ubiquitous with respect to the topological minor relation, irrespective of their cardinality. This answers a question of Andreae from 1979.

math.CO↗

arXiv2018

Isoperimetry in integer lattices

The edge isoperimetric problem for a graph $G$ is to determine, for each $n$, the minimum number of edges leaving any set of $n$ vertices. In general this problem is NP-hard, but exact solutions are known in some special cases, for example when $G$ is the usual integer lattice. We solve the edge isoperimetric problem asymptotically for every Cayley graph on $\mathbb Z^d$. The near-optimal shapes that we exhibit are zonotopes generated by line segments corresponding to the generators of the Cayley graph.

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arXiv2018

Non-reconstructible locally finite graphs

Two graphs $G$ and $H$ are \emph{hypomorphic} if there exists a bijection $φ\colon V(G) \rightarrow V(H)$ such that $G - v \cong H - φ(v)$ for each $v \in V(G)$. A graph $G$ is \emph{reconstructible} if $H \cong G$ for all $H$ hypomorphic to $G$. Nash-Williams proved that all locally finite graphs with a finite number $\geq 2$ of ends are reconstructible, and asked whether locally finite graphs with one end or countably many ends are also reconstructible. In this paper we construct non-reconstructible graphs of bounded maximum degree with one and countably many ends respectively, answering the two questions of Nash-Williams about the reconstruction of locally finite graphs in the negative.

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arXiv2018

A counterexample to the reconstruction conjecture for locally finite trees

Two graphs $G$ and $H$ are hypomorphic if there exists a bijection $φ\colon V(G) \rightarrow V(H)$ such that $G - v \cong H - φ(v)$ for each $v \in V(G)$. A graph $G$ is reconstructible if $H \cong G$ for all $H$ hypomorphic to $G$. It is well known that not all infinite graphs are reconstructible. However, the Harary-Schwenk-Scott Conjecture from 1972 suggests that all locally finite trees are reconstructible. In this paper, we construct a counterexample to the Harary-Schwenk-Scott Conjecture. Our example also answers four other questions of Nash-Williams, Halin and Andreae on the reconstruction of infinite graphs.

math.CO↗

arXiv2017

Directed path-decompositions

Many of the tools developed for the theory of tree-decompositions of graphs do not work for directed graphs. In this paper we show that some of the most basic tools do work in the case where the model digraph is a directed path. Using these tools we define a notion of a directed blockage in a digraph and prove a min-max theorem for directed path-width analogous to the result of Bienstock, Roberston, Seymour and Thomas for blockages in graphs. Furthermore, we show that every digraph with directed path width $\geq k$ contains each arboresence of order $\leq k + 1$ as a butterfly minor. Finally we also show that every digraph admits a linked directed path-decomposition of minimum width, extending a result of Kim and Seymour on semi-complete digraphs.

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arXiv2017

Hamilton decompositions of one-ended Cayley graphs

We prove that any one-ended, locally finite Cayley graph with non-torsion generators admits a decomposition into edge-disjoint Hamiltonian (i.e. spanning) double-rays. In particular, the $n$-dimensional grid $\mathbb{Z}^n$ admits a decomposition into $n$ edge-disjoint Hamiltonian double-rays for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2017

Duality theorems for blocks and tangles in graphs

We prove a duality theorem applicable to a a wide range of specialisations, as well as to some generalisations, of tangles in graphs. It generalises the classical tangle duality theorem of Robertson and Seymour, which says that every graph either has a large-order tangle or a certain low-width tree-decomposition witnessing that it cannot have such a tangle. Our result also yields duality theorems for profiles and for $k$-blocks. This solves a problem studied, but not solved, by Diestel and Oum and answers an earlier question of Carmesin, Diestel, Hamann and Hundertmark.

math.CO↗

arXiv2017

A unified treatment of linked and lean tree-decompositions

There are many results asserting the existence of tree-decompositions of minimal width which still represent local connectivity properties of the underlying graph, perhaps the best-known being Thomas' theorem that proves for every graph $G$ the existence of a linked tree-decompositon of width tw$(G)$. We prove a general theorem on the existence of linked and lean tree-decompositions, providing a unifying proof of many known results in the field, as well as implying some new results. In particular we prove that every matroid $M$ admits a lean tree-decomposition of width tw$(M)$, generalizing the result of Thomas.

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arXiv2017

Refining a Tree-Decomposition which Distinguishes Tangles

Roberston and Seymour introduced tangles of order $k$ as objects representing highly connected parts of a graph and showed that every graph admits a tree-decomposition of adhesion $<k$ in which each tangle of order $k$ is contained in a different part. Recently, Carmesin, Diestel, Hamann and Hundertmark showed that such a tree-decomposition can be constructed in a canonical way, which makes it invariant under automorphisms of the graph. These canonical tree-decompositions necessarily have parts which contain no tangle of order $k$. We call these parts inessential. Diestel asked what could be said about the structure of the inessential parts. In this paper we show that the torsos of the inessential parts in these tree-decompositions have branch width $<k$, allowing us to further refine the canonical tree-decompositions, and also show that a similar result holds for $k$-blocks.

math.CO↗

arXiv2017

A counterexample to Montgomery's conjecture on dynamic colourings of regular graphs

A \emph{dynamic colouring} of a graph is a proper colouring in which no neighbourhood of a non-leaf vertex is monochromatic. The \emph{dynamic colouring number} $χ_2(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the least number of colours needed for a dynamic colouring of $G$. Montgomery conjectured that $χ_2(G) \leq χ(G) + 2$ for all regular graphs $G$, which would significantly improve the best current upper bound $χ_2(G) \leq 2χ(G)$. In this note, however, we show that this last upper bound is sharp by constructing, for every integer $n \geq 2$, a regular graph $G$ with $χ(G) = n$ but $χ_2(G) = 2n$. In particular, this disproves Montgomery's conjecture.

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arXiv2015

A Bramble like Witness for Large Branch-Width

Using the new framework of graph separations developed recently by Diestel and Oum, we show that there is a natural witness to large branch-width which can be defined in a similar way to a bramble. We also apply our methods to a more recent object of study in the area, a common generalization of tangles and blocks, called profiles.

math.CO↗

arXiv2015

An $n$-in-a-row type game

We consider a Maker-Breaker type game on the plane, in which each player takes $t$ points on their $t^\textrm{th}$ turn. Maker wins if he obtains $n$ points on a line (in any direction) without any of Breaker's points between them. We show that, despite Maker's apparent advantage, Breaker can prevent Maker from winning until about his $n^\textrm{th}$ turn. We actually prove a stronger result: that Breaker only needs to play $ω(\log t)$ points on his $t^\textrm{th}$ turn to prevent Maker from winning until this time. We also consider the situation when the number of points claimed by Maker grows at other speeds, in particular, when Maker claims $t^α$ points on his $t^\textrm{th}$ turn.

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arXiv2014

A Note on Combinatorial Derivation

Given an infinite group $G$ and a subset $A$ of $G$ we let $Δ(A) = {g \in G : |gA \cap A| =\infty}$ (this is sometimes called the combinatorial derivation of $A$). A subset $A$ of $G$ is called large if there exists a finite subset $F$ of $G$ such that $FA=G$. We show that given a large set $X$, and a decomposition $X=A_1 \cup ... \cup A_n$, there must exist an $i$ such that $Δ(A_i)$ is large. This answers a question of Protasov. We also answer a number of related questions of Protasov.

math.CO↗

arXiv2014

A note on the combinatorial derivation of non-small sets

Given an infinite group $G$ and a subset $A$ of $G$ we let $Δ(A) = \{g \in G \,:\, |gA \cap A| =\infty\}$ (this is sometimes called the \emph{combinatorial derivation} of $A$). A subset $A$ of $G$ is called: \emph{large} if there exists a finite subset $F$ of $G$ such that $FA=G$; \emph{$Δ$-large} if $Δ(A)$ is large and \emph{small} if for every large subset $L$ of $G$, $(G \setminus A) \cap L$ is large. In this note we show that every non-small set is $Δ$-large, answering a question of Protasov.

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arXiv2013

Decomposing the cube into paths

We consider the question of when the $n$-dimensional hypercube can be decomposed into paths of length $k$. Mollard and Ramras \cite{MR2013} noted that for odd $n$ it is necessary that $k$ divides $n2^{n-1}$ and that $k\leq n$. Later, Anick and Ramras \cite{AR2013} showed that these two conditions are also sufficient for odd $n \leq 2^{32}$ and conjectured that this was true for all odd $n$. In this note we prove the conjecture.

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arXiv2012

An n-in-a-row Game

The usual $n$-in-a-row game is a positional game in which two player alternately claim points in $\bb{Z}^2$ with the winner being the first player to claim $n$ consecutive points in a line. We consider a variant of the game, suggested by Croft, where the number of points claimed increases by 1 each turn, and so on turn $t$ a player claims $t$ points. Croft asked how long it takes to win this game. We show that, perhaps surprisingly, the time needed to win this game is $(1-o(1))n$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2012

The closed knight tour problem in higher dimensions

The problem of existence of closed knight tours for rectangular chessboards was solved by Schwenk in 1991. Last year, in 2011, DeMaio and Mathew provide an extension of this result for 3-dimensional rectangular boards. In this article, we give the solution for $n$-dimensional rectangular boards, for $n\geq 4$.

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arXiv2012

Knight's Tours in Higher Dimensions

In this paper we are concerned with knight's tours on high-dimensional boards. Our main aim is to show that on the $d$-dimensional board $[n]^d$, with $n$ even, there is always a knight's tour provided that $n$ is sufficiently large. In fact, we give an exact classification of the grids $[n_1] \times ... \times [n_d]$ in which there is a knight's tour. This answers questions of DeMaio, DeMaio and Mathew, and Watkins.

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