arXiv subjects

Luis Goddyn

Publications and source records attributed to Luis Goddyn.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

There are only a finite number of excluded minors for the class of bicircular matroids

We show that the class of bicircular matroids has only a finite number of excluded minors. Key tools used in our proof include representations of matroids by biased graphs and the recently introduced class of quasi-graphic matroids. We show that if $N$ is an excluded minor of rank at least ten, then $N$ is quasi-graphic. Several small excluded minors are quasi-graphic. Using biased-graphic representations, we find that $N$ already contains one of these. We also provide an upper bound, in terms of rank, on the number of elements in an excluded minor, so the result follows.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

All group-based latin squares possess near transversals

In a latin square of order $n$, a near transversal is a collection of $n-1$ cells which intersects each row, column, and symbol class at most once. A longstanding conjecture of Brualdi, Ryser, and Stein asserts that every latin square possesses a near transversal. We show that this conjecture is true for every latin square that is main class equivalent to the Cayley table of a finite group.

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arXiv2018

The Chromatic Number of Finite Group Cayley Tables

The chromatic number of a latin square $L$, denoted $\chi(L)$, is the minimum number of partial transversals needed to cover all of its cells. It has been conjectured that every latin square satisfies $\chi(L) \leq |L|+2$. If true, this would resolve a longstanding conjecture---commonly attributed to Brualdi---that every latin square has a partial transversal of size $|L|-1$. Restricting our attention to Cayley tables of finite groups, we prove two main results. First, we resolve the chromatic number question for Cayley tables of finite Abelian groups: the Cayley table of an Abelian group $G$ has chromatic number $|G|$ or $|G|+2$, with the latter case occurring if and only if $G$ has nontrivial cyclic Sylow 2-subgroups. Second, we give an upper bound for the chromatic number of Cayley tables of arbitrary finite groups. For $|G|\geq 3$, this improves the best-known general upper bound from $2|G|$ to $\frac{3}{2}|G|$, while yielding an even stronger result in infinitely many cases.

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arXiv2016

$E$-restricted Double Traces

For a graph $G$ and $E \subseteq E(G)$, an $E$-restricted strong trace is a closed walk which traverses every edge from $E$ once in each direction and every other edge twice in the same direction, with no nontrivial repetition at any vertex. We characterize graphs admitting $E$-restricted strong traces as well as $E$-restricted $d$-stable traces, as well as directed (mixed graph) versions of these results. We explain how these characterizations upgrade the mathematical model for self-assembling polypeptide nanostructure design first presented by Gradi\v sar et al.\ in 2013.

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arXiv2015

On the chromatic number of Latin square graphs

The chromatic number of a Latin square is the least number of partial transversals which cover its cells. This is just the chromatic number of its associated Latin square graph. Although Latin square graphs have been widely studied as strongly regular graphs, their chromatic numbers appear to be unexplored. We determine the chromatic number of a circulant Latin square, and find bounds for some other classes of Latin squares. With a computer, we find the chromatic number for all main classes of Latin squares of order at most eight.

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arXiv2014

On Hilbert bases of cuts

A Hilbert basis is a set of vectors X such that the integer cone (semigroup) generated by X is the intersection of the lattice generated by X with the cone generated by X. Define a graph to be (cut) Hilbert if its set of cuts forms a Hilbert basis. We show that the Hilbert property is not closed under edge deletions, subdivisions, nor 2-sums. Furthermore, no graph having K_6-e as a minor is Hilbert. This corrects an error in [M. Laurent. Hilbert bases of cuts. Discrete Math., 150(1-3):257-279 (1996)]. For positive results, we give conditions under which the 2-sum of two graphs produces a Hilbert graph. Using these conditions we show that all H-minor-free graphs are Hilbert , where H is the unique 3-connected graph obtained by uncontracting an edge of K_5. We also establish a relationship between edge deletion and subdivision. Namely, if G' is obtained from a Hilbert graph G by subdividing an edge e two or more times, then G-e is Hilbert if and only if G' is Hilbert.

math.CO↗

arXiv2012

Few Long Lists for Edge Choosability of Planar Cubic Graphs

It is known that every loopless cubic graph is 4-edge choosable. We prove the following strengthened result. Let G be a planar cubic graph having b cut-edges. There exists a set F of at most 5b/2 edges of G with the following property. For any function L which assigns to each edge of F a set of 4 colours and which assigns to each edge in E(G)-F a set of 3 colours, the graph G has a proper edge colouring where the colour of each edge e belongs to L(e).

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arXiv2007

Cayley sum graphs and eigenvalues of $(3,6)$-fullerenes

We determine the spectra of cubic plane graphs whose faces have sizes 3 and 6. Such graphs, "(3,6)-fullerenes", have been studied by chemists who are interested in their energy spectra. In particular we prove a conjecture of Fowler, which asserts that all their eigenvalues come in pairs of the form $\{λ,-λ\}$ except for the four eigenvalues $\{3,-1,-1,-1\}$. We exhibit other families of graphs which are "spectrally nearly bipartite" in this sense. Our proof utilizes a geometric representation to recognize the algebraic structure of these graphs, which turn out to be examples of Cayley sum graphs.

math.CO↗

arXiv2006

A quadratic lower bound for subset sums

Let A be a finite nonempty subset of an additive abelian group G, and let \Sigma(A) denote the set of all group elements representable as a sum of some subset of A. We prove that |\Sigma(A)| >= |H| + 1/64 |A H|^2 where H is the stabilizer of \Sigma(A). Our result implies that \Sigma(A) = Z/nZ for every set A of units of Z/nZ with |A| >= 8 \sqrt{n}. This consequence was first proved by Erd\H{o}s and Heilbronn for n prime, and by Vu (with a weaker constant) for general n.

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