arXiv subjects

Nathan Bowler

Publications and source records attributed to Nathan Bowler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

The $K^{\aleph_0}$ Game: Vertex Colouring

We investigate games played between Maker and Breaker on an infinite complete graph whose vertices are coloured with colours from a given set, each colour appearing infinitely often. The players alternately claim edges, Makers aim being to claim all edges of a sufficiently colourful infinite complete subgraph and Breakers aim being to prevent this. We show that if there are only finitely many colours then Maker can obtain a complete subgraph in which all colours appear infinitely often, but that Breaker can prevent this if there are infinitely many colours. Even when there are infinitely many colours, we show that Maker can obtain a complete subgraph in which infinitely many of the colours each appear infinitely often.

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arXiv2023

Perfect matroids over hyperfields

We investigate valuated matroids with an additional algebraic structure on their residue matroids. We encode the structure in terms of representability over stringent hyperfields. A hyperfield $H$ is {\em stringent} if $a\boxplus b$ is a singleton unless $a=-b$, for all $a,b\in H$. By a construction of Marc Krasner, each valued field gives rise to a stringent hyperfield. We show that if $H$ is a stringent skew hyperfield, then the vectors of any weak matroid over $H$ are orthogonal to its covectors, and we deduce that weak matroids over $H$ are strong matroids over $H$. Also, we present vector axioms for matroids over stringent skew hyperfields which generalize the vector axioms for oriented matroids and valuated matroids.

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arXiv2022

Maker-Breaker games on $ K_{ω_1}$ and $K_{ω,ω_1}$

We investigate Maker-Breaker games on graphs of size $\aleph_1$ in which Maker's goal is to build a copy of the host graph. We establish a firm dependence of the outcome of the game on the axiomatic framework. Relating to this, we prove that there is a winning strategy for Maker in the $K_{ω,ω_1}$-game under ZFC+MA+$\neg$CH and a winning strategy for Breaker under ZFC+CH. We prove a similar result for the $K_{ω_1}$-game. Here, Maker has a winning strategy under ZF+DC+AD, while Breaker has one under ZFC+CH again.

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arXiv2021

Ubiquity in graphs III: Ubiquity of locally finite graphs with extensive tree-decompositions

A graph $G$ is said to be ubiquitous, if every graph $Γ$ that contains arbitrarily many disjoint $G$-minors automatically contains infinitely many disjoint $G$-minors. The well-known Ubiquity conjecture of Andreae says that every locally finite graph is ubiquitous. In this paper we show that locally finite graphs admitting a certain type of tree-decomposition, which we call an extensive tree-decomposition, are ubiquitous. In particular this includes all locally finite graphs of finite tree-width, and also all locally finite graphs with finitely many ends, all of which have finite degree. It remains an open question whether every locally finite graph admits an extensive tree-decomposition.

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arXiv2020

Ubiquity in graphs II: Ubiquity of graphs with nowhere-linear end structure

A graph $G$ is said to be $\preceq$-ubiquitous, where $\preceq$ is the minor relation between graphs, if whenever $Γ$ is a graph with $nG \preceq Γ$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$, then one also has $\aleph_0 G \preceq Γ$, where $αG$ is the disjoint union of $α$ many copies of $G$. A well-known conjecture of Andreae is that every locally finite connected graph is $\preceq$-ubiquitous. In this paper we give a sufficient condition on the structure of the ends of a graph~$G$ which implies that $G$ is $\preceq$-ubiquitous. In particular this implies that the full grid is $\preceq$-ubiquitous.

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arXiv2020

Classification of doubly distributive skew hyperfields and stringent hypergroups

A hypergroup is stringent if $a \boxplus b$ is a singleton whenever $a \neq -b$. A hyperfield is stringent if the underlying additive hypergroup is. Every doubly distributive skew hyperfield is stringent, but not vice versa. We present a classification of stringent hypergroups, from which a classification of doubly distributive skew hyperfields follows. It follows from our classification that every such hyperfield is a quotient of a skew field.

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arXiv2020

Recognising Graphic and Matroidal Connectivity Functions

A {\em connectivity function} on a set $E$ is a function $λ:2^E\rightarrow \mathbb R$ such that $λ(\emptyset)=0$, that $λ(X)=λ(E-X)$ for all $X\subseteq E$, and that $λ(X\cap Y)+λ(X\cup Y)\leq λ(X)+λ(Y)$ for all $X,Y \subseteq E$. Graphs, matroids and, more generally, polymatroids have associated connectivity functions. In this paper we give a method for identifying when a connectivity function comes from a graph. This method uses no more than a polynomial number of evaluations of the connectivity function. In contrast, we show that the problem of identifying when a connectivity function comes from a matroid cannot be solved in polynomial time. We also show that the problem of identifying when a connectivity function is not that of a matroid cannot be solved in polynomial time.

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arXiv2019

Bounding the cop number of a graph by its genus

It is known that the cop number $c(G)$ of a connected graph $G$ can be bounded as a function of the genus of the graph $g(G)$. The best known bound, that $c(G) \leq \left\lfloor \frac{3 g(G)}{2}\right\rfloor + 3$, was given by Schröder, who conjectured that in fact $c(G) \leq g(G) + 3$. We give the first improvement to Schröder's bound, showing that $c(G) \leq \frac{4g(G)}{3} + \frac{10}{3}$.

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arXiv2018

Matroids over partial hyperstructures

We present an algebraic framework which simultaneously generalizes the notion of linear subspaces, matroids, valuated matroids, oriented matroids, and regular matroids. To do this, we first introduce algebraic objects called tracts which generalize both hyperfields in the sense of Krasner and partial fields in the sense of Semple and Whittle. We then define matroids over tracts; in fact, there are (at least) two natural notions of matroid in this general context, which we call weak and strong matroids. We give "cryptomorphic" axiom systems for such matroids in terms of circuits, Grassmann-Plücker functions, and dual pairs, and establish some basic duality results. We then explore sufficient criteria for the notions of weak and strong matroids to coincide. For example, if $F$ is a particularly nice kind of tract called a doubly distributive partial hyperfield, we show that the notions of weak and strong $F$-matroids coincide. We also give examples of tracts $F$ and weak $F$-matroids which are not strong. Our theory of matroids over tracts is closely related to, but more general than, "matroids over fuzzy rings" in the sense of Dress and Dress-Wenzel.

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arXiv2018

Separations of sets

Abstract separation systems are a new unifying framework in which separations of graph, matroids and other combinatorial structures can be expressed and studied. We characterize the abstract separation systems that have representations as separation systems of graphs, sets, or set bipartitions.

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arXiv2018

The colouring number of infinite graphs

We show that, given an infinite cardinal $μ$, a graph has colouring number at most $μ$ if and only if it contains neither of two types of subgraph. We also show that every graph with infinite colouring number has a well-ordering of its vertices that simultaneously witnesses its colouring number and its cardinality.

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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.

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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.

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arXiv2017

Minimal obstructions for normal spanning trees

Diestel and Leader have characterised connected graphs that admit a normal spanning tree via two classes of forbidden minors. One class are Halin's $(\aleph_0,\aleph_1)$-graphs: bipartite graphs with bipartition $(\mathbb{N},B)$ such that $B$ is uncountable and every vertex of $B$ has infinite degree. Our main result is that under Martin's Axiom and the failure of the Continuum Hypothesis, the class of forbidden $(\aleph_0,\aleph_1)$-graphs in Diestel and Leader's result can be replaced by one single instance of such a graph. Under CH, however, the class of $(\aleph_0,\aleph_1)$-graphs contains minor-incomparable elements, namely graphs of binary type, and $\mathcal{U}$-indivisible graphs. Assuming CH, Diestel and Leader asked whether every $(\aleph_0,\aleph_1)$-graph has an $(\aleph_0,\aleph_1)$-minor that is either indivisible or of binary type, and whether any two $\mathcal{U}$-indivisible graphs are necessarily minors of each other. For both questions, we construct examples showing that the answer is in the negative.

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arXiv2017

Matroids over hyperfields

We present an algebraic framework which simultaneously generalizes the notion of linear subspaces, matroids, valuated matroids, and oriented matroids. We call the resulting objects matroids over hyperfields. In fact, there are (at least) two natural notions of matroid in this context, which we call weak and strong matroids. We give "cryptomorphic" axiom systems for such matroids in terms of circuits, Grassmann-Plucker functions, and dual pairs, and establish some basic duality theorems. We also show that if F is a doubly distributive hyperfield then the notions of weak and strong matroid over F coincide.

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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arXiv2016

Reconstruction of infinite matroids from their 3-connected minors

We show that any infinite matroid can be reconstructed from the torsos of a tree-decomposition over its 2-separations, together with local information at the ends of the tree. We show that if the matroid is tame then this local information is simply a choice of whether circuits are permitted to use that end. The same is true if each torso is planar, with all gluing elements on a common face.

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