arXiv subjects

Paweł Rzążewski

Publications and source records attributed to Paweł Rzążewski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Burling graphs in graphs with large chromatic number

A graph class is $χ$-bounded if the only way to force large chromatic number in graphs from the class is by forming a large clique. In the 1970s, Erdős conjectured that intersection graphs of straight-line segments in the plane are $χ$-bounded, but this was disproved by Pawlik et al. (2014), who showed another way to force large chromatic number in this class -- by triangle-free graphs $B_k$ with $χ(B_k)=k$ constructed by Burling (1965). This also disproved the celebrated conjecture of Scott (1997) that classes of graphs excluding induced subdivisions of a fixed graph are $χ$-bounded. We prove that in broad classes of graphs excluding induced subdivisions of a fixed graph, including the increasingly more general classes of segment intersection graphs, string graphs, region intersection graphs, and hereditary classes of graphs with finite asymptotic dimension, large chromatic number can be forced only by large cliques or large graphs $B_k$. One corollary is that the hereditary closure of $\{B_k\colon k\geq 1\}$ forms a minimal hereditary graph class with unbounded chromatic number -- the second known graph class with this property after the class of complete graphs. Another corollary is that the decision variant of approximate coloring in the aforementioned graph classes can be solved in polynomial time by exhaustively searching for a sufficiently large clique or copy of $B_k$. We also discuss how our results along with some results of Chudnovsky, Scott, and Seymour on the existence of colorings can be turned into polynomial-time algorithms for the search variant of approximate coloring in string graphs (with intersection model in the input) and other aforementioned graph classes. Such an algorithm has not yet been known for any graph class that is not $χ$-bounded.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

A rainbow partition theorem for trees and connected maximin share allocations of chores

Xiao, Qiu, and Huang (AAMAS 2023) and independently Lonc (personal communication) asked whether indivisible chores located at the vertices of a tree can always be allocated to $n$ agents in connected bundles so that the cost of every agent is at most its connected maximin share; for goods, this is a theorem of Bouveret, Cechlárová, Elkind, Igarashi, and Peters. We answer the question affirmatively, even for monotone costs. The answer follows from a combinatorial theorem: if $\mathcal P_1,\ldots,\mathcal P_k$ are partitions of the vertex set of a finite tree, each into at most $k$ connected parts, then the vertex set can be split into disjoint sets $B_1,\ldots,B_k$, some possibly empty, such that each nonempty $B_i$ is connected and contained in a part of $\mathcal P_i$. Equivalently, if each of $k$ colours occurs on at most $k-1$ edges of a tree, then the vertices can be partitioned into connected sets labelled by distinct colours, none containing an edge of its own colour; in particular, one can choose for every colour a component of the forest obtained by deleting that colour so that the chosen components cover the tree. The bound is already best possible for paths, and for additive costs, the theorem is equivalent to the fair-division statement. The proof reduces the problem to inward partitions of oriented trees, which we obtain from the colourful KKM theorem on a simplex of edge weights, using a leaf-elimination labelling that remains compatible when weights vanish. We also give an algorithm running in time $k^{O(k)}$ plus polynomial time.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Tree-independence number of $P_5$-free graphs with no large bicliques

The tree-independence number of a graph is the minimum, over all tree-decompositions of the graph, of the maximum size of an independent set contained in a bag. Graph classes of bounded tree-independence number have strong structural and algorithmic properties; however, the parameter can be unbounded even in quite restricted classes. In particular, the presence of an induced biclique $K_{\ell,\ell}$ forces tree-independence number at least $\ell$. This leads to the question whether large induced bicliques are the only obstruction to bounded tree-independence number in natural hereditary classes. A conjecture of Dallard, Krnc, Kwon, Milanič, Munaro, Štorgel, and Wiederrecht states that for all positive integers $t$ and $\ell$, ${\{P_t,K_{\ell,\ell}\}}$-free graphs have bounded tree-independence number. We prove this conjecture for ${t=5}$ by showing that every ${\{P_5,K_{\ell,\ell}\}}$-free graph has tree-independence number at most ${4\ell-4}$. We also obtain related bounds for the weaker parameter of $α$-degeneracy and answer a question of Hilaire, Milanič, and Vasić whether tree-independence number of ${\{P_5,K_{\ell,\ell}\}}$-free graphs exceeds $\ell$ by at most an additive constant.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Induced packing treewidth II. Excluding a clique or a biclique

The notion of induced packing treewidth aims to unify classes defined by forbidden induced subgraphs or induced minors with classes defined by the existence of certain structured tree decompositions. For a graph $H$, \emph{induced $H$-packing treewidth}, denoted by $\treepi_{H}$, is a tree-decomposition-based graph parameter that, for each bag, measures the maximum number of pairwise anticomplete induced copies of $H$ intersecting that bag. This notion generalizes some previously studied parameters: when $H=P_1$, it is equivalent to tree-independence number, and when $H=P_2$, it is equivalent to induced matching treewidth. We prove the following: \begin{itemize}[itemsep=2mm,leftmargin=6mm] \item For all $a,t\in \mathbb{N}$, $K_{a,a}$-free graphs of bounded induced $P_t$-packing treewidth have bounded tree-independence number. This extends the previous result of Abrishami et al. [SIAM J. Discrete Math., 2025] for $t=2$, and a result of Hajebi and Spirkl who showed that $(P_t,K_{a,a})$-free graphs have bounded tree-independence number. \item If $H$ is any fixed path or a star, then the class of graphs of bounded induced $H$-packing treewidth is $χ$-bounded. Again, this extends the previous result of Abrishami et al. [SIAM J. Discrete Math., 2025] for $H=P_2$. \item Finally, we study the relationship between induced packing treewidth and \emph{sim-width}, a width parameter based on branch decompositions. We show that, although \emph{sim-width} and induced $P_3$-packing treewidth are incomparable, graphs of bounded sim-width that exclude all \emph{$H$-obstructions}---certain graphs that force large induced $H$-packing treewidth---have bounded induced $H$-packing treewidth. This simultaneously generalizes and resolves questions posed by Abrishami et al. [SIAM J. Discrete Math., 2025] and Brettell et al. [European J. Comb., 2025]. \end{itemize}

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Parameterized complexity of $k$-Coloring in graphs with no long induced paths

We study the parameterized complexity of (List) $k$-Coloring in $H$-free graphs, where $H$ is a linear forest, that is, a disjoint union of paths. First, considering $k$ as the parameter, we establish the following: * For any $s \geq 0$, List $k$-Coloring in $(P_4+sP_1)$-free graphs is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT). * $k$-Coloring is W[1]-hard in $2P_2$-free graphs. The second result settles, in a strong form, a long-standing open problem posed by Hoàng, Kamiński, Lozin, Sawada, and Shu [Algorithmica, 2010]. Next, we prove that $k$-Coloring is NP-hard in $(P_4+P_2)$-free graphs. These three findings, together with known results from classical, non-parameterized complexity, yield a complete complexity classification of $k$-Coloring and List $k$-Coloring in $H$-free graphs, parameterized by $k$, into the cases: FPT, XP but W[1]-hard, and paraNP-hard. We also prove that $3$-Coloring is W[1]-hard in $P_t$-free graphs when parameterized by $t$. This answers a question of Golovach, Johnson, Paulusma, and Song [Journal of Graph Theory, 2017]. Finally, as a byproduct of our algorithm for List $k$-Coloring in $(P_4+sP_1)$-free graphs, we show that, for every fixed $s$ and $k$, there are only finitely many $(P_4+sP_1)$-free minimal obstructions to $k$-colorability. This settles a conjecture of Cameron, Hoàng, and Sawada [Disc. Appl. Math., 2022] and completes the dichotomy concerning the finiteness of the family of vertex-$k$-critical $H$-free graphs for every graph $H$ and every $k$.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Sparse induced subgraphs in P_6-free graphs

We prove that a number of computational problems that ask for the largest sparse induced subgraph satisfying some property definable in CMSO2 logic, most notably Feedback Vertex Set, are polynomial-time solvable in the class of $P_6$-free graphs. This generalizes the work of Grzesik, Klimošová, Pilipczuk, and Pilipczuk on the Maximum Weight Independent Set problem in $P_6$-free graphs~[SODA 2019, TALG 2022], and of Abrishami, Chudnovsky, Pilipczuk, Rzążewski, and Seymour on problems in $P_5$-free graphs~[SODA~2021]. The key step is a new generalization of the framework of potential maximal cliques. We show that instead of listing a large family of potential maximal cliques, it is sufficient to only list their carvers: vertex sets that contain the same vertices from the sought solution and have similar separation properties.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Induced packing treewidth

In this paper, we introduce a framework that aims to unify classes defined by forbidden induced subgraphs or induced minors with classes defined by the existence of certain structured tree decompositions. Let $\mathcal{H}$ be a fixed family of graphs. We define \emph{induced-$\mathcal{H}$-packing treewidth}, a tree-decomposition-based graph parameter that, for each bag, measures the maximum number of pairwise anticomplete induced copies of graphs from $\mathcal{H}$ intersecting that bag. This notion generalizes some previously studied parameters: when $\mathcal{H}=\{P_1\}$, it is equivalent to tree-independence number, and when $\mathcal{H}=\{P_2\}$, it is equivalent to induced matching treewidth. We show that bounded induced-$\mathcal{H}$-packing treewidth yields new algorithmic consequences for a range of choices of $\mathcal{H}$. In particular, we prove the following results for graphs of bounded induced-$\mathcal{H}$-packing treewidth. Our results partially answer and substantially extend a question of Bodlaender, Fomin, and Korhonen [SODA~2026] on the tractability of \textsc{MWIS} for graphs of bounded induced-$\mathcal{H}$-packing treewidth for $\mathcal{H}=\{P_3\}$ and for $\mathcal{H}$ equal to the family of all cycles.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Induced Erdős--Pósa property for long holes, long thetas, and beyond

The induced Erdős--Pósa property in graphs relates the maximum number of pairwise anti-adjacent copies of an object with the minimum number of neighborhoods required to hit all copies. In this paper, the objects we consider are long cycles and long thetas, both as induced minors. Let $C_t$ denote the cycle with $t$ vertices and let $Θ_t$ be the graph consisting of three internally disjoint and anti-adjacent paths, each with $t$ internal vertices, connecting the same pair of distinct vertices. We show that for every fixed $t$, both $C_t$ and $Θ_t$ have the induced Erdős--Pósa property with respect to the induced minor relation. More precisely, for every integer $k$ and every graph $G$, one of the following two outcomes occurs: (i) $G$ contains $k$ pairwise vertex-disjoint and anti-adjacent copies of $C_t$ (resp., $Θ_t$) as induced minors, or (ii) there is a set $X \subseteq V(G)$ of size $\mathcal{O}(tk \log k)$ such that the set $N[X]$, consisting of $X$ and its neighbors, hits all $C_t$ (resp., all $Θ_t$) induced minors in $G$. This resolves in a strong form a special case of a conjecture of Ahn, Gollin, Huynh, and Kwon [SODA 2025]. From these results we derive that graphs that exclude $k$ disjoint copies of $Θ_t$ as an induced minor admit balanced separators consisting of the neighborhood of $\mathcal{O}(tk \log k)$ vertices. This in turn resolves a special case of a conjecture of Gartland and Lokshtanov and, combined with known techniques, yields a QPTAS for Maximum Weight Independent Set and a number of its generalizations.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Sparse induced subgraphs in $P_7$-free graphs of bounded clique number

Many natural computational problems, including e.g. Max Weight Independent Set, Feedback Vertex Set, or Vertex Planarization, can be unified under an umbrella of finding the largest sparse induced subgraph, that satisfies some property definable in CMSO$_2$ logic. It is believed that each problem expressible with this formalism can be solved in polynomial time in graphs that exclude a fixed path as an induced subgraph. This belief is supported by the existence of a quasipolynomial-time algorithm by Gartland, Lokshtanov, Pilipczuk, Pilipczuk, and Rzążewski [STOC 2021], and a recent polynomial-time algorithm for $P_6$-free graphs by Chudnovsky, McCarty, Pilipczuk, Pilipczuk, and Rzążewski [SODA 2024]. In this work we extend polynomial-time tractability of all such problems to $P_7$-free graphs of bounded clique number.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Clique-width and induced topological minors

A $P_4$ is a chordless path on four vertices. A diamond is a graph obtained from a clique of size four by removing one edge of the clique. A paw is a graph obtained from a clique of size four by removing two adjacent edges of the clique. We prove that for a graph $H$, the class of graphs with no induced subdivision of $H$ has bounded clique-width if and only if $H$ is an induced subgraph of $P_4$, the paw, or the diamond. This answers a~question of Dabrowski, Johnson, and Paulusma.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2026

Maximum Weight Independent Set in Hereditary Classes of Ordered Graphs

The complexity of classical computational problems in graph classes defined by forbidding induced subgraphs is one of the central topics of algorithmic graph theory. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the complexity of such problems in ordered graphs, i.e., graphs with a fixed linear ordering of vertices. Such an approach allows us to investigate the boundary of tractability more closely. However, most results so far concern coloring problems. In this paper, we focus on the complexity of the Maximum Weight Independent Set (MWIS) problem in classes of ordered graphs. For every ordered graph $H$, we classify the complexity of MWIS in ordered graphs that exclude $H$ as an induced subgraph into one of the following cases: (1) solvable in polynomial time, (2) solvable in quasipolynomial time, (3) solvable in subexponential time, (4) NP-hard. Notably, case (3) contains only one well-structured family of $H$ obtained from two nested edges by adding isolated vertices in a specific way. Thus, our results yield an almost complete complexity dichotomy for MWIS in classes of ordered graphs defined by a single forbidden induced subgraph into cases solvable in quasipolynomial time and those that are NP-hard.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Polynomial-time recognition and maximum independent set in Burling graphs

A Burling graph is an induced subgraph of some graph in Burling's construction of triangle-free high-chromatic graphs. Equivalently, a Burling graph is a graph that admits a so-called strict frame representation. We provide a polynomial-time algorithm to decide whether a given graph is a Burling graph and if it is, to construct its strict frame representation. The representation then enables a polynomial-time algorithm for the maximum independent set problem in Burling graphs. As a consequence, we establish Burling graphs as the first known hereditary class of graphs that admits such an algorithm while not being $χ$-bounded.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Minimal obstructions to $C_5$-coloring in hereditary graph classes

For graphs $G$ and $H$, an $H$-coloring of $G$ is an edge-preserving mapping from $V(G)$ to $V(H)$. Note that if $H$ is the triangle, then $H$-colorings are equivalent to $3$-colorings. In this paper we are interested in the case that $H$ is the five-vertex cycle $C_5$. A minimal obstruction to $C_5$-coloring is a graph that does not have a $C_5$-coloring, but every proper induced subgraph thereof has a $C_5$-coloring. In this paper we are interested in minimal obstructions to $C_5$-coloring in $F$-free graphs, i.e., graphs that exclude some fixed graph $F$ as an induced subgraph. Let $P_t$ denote the path on $t$ vertices, and let $S_{a,b,c}$ denote the graph obtained from paths $P_{a+1},P_{b+1},P_{c+1}$ by identifying one of their endvertices. We show that there is only a finite number of minimal obstructions to $C_5$-coloring among $F$-free graphs, where $F \in \{ P_8, S_{2,2,1}, S_{3,1,1}\}$ and explicitly determine all such obstructions. This extends the results of Kamiński and Pstrucha [Discr. Appl. Math. 261, 2019] who proved that there is only a finite number of $P_7$-free minimal obstructions to $C_5$-coloring, and of Dębski et al. [ISAAC 2022 Proc.] who showed that the triangle is the unique $S_{2,1,1}$-free minimal obstruction to $C_5$-coloring. We complement our results with a construction of an infinite family of minimal obstructions to $C_5$-coloring, which are simultaneously $P_{13}$-free and $S_{2,2,2}$-free. We also discuss infinite families of $F$-free minimal obstructions to $H$-coloring for other graphs $H$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Maximum Partial List H-Coloring on P_5-free graphs in polynomial time

In this article we show that Maximum Partial List H-Coloring is polynomial-time solvable on P_5-free graphs for every fixed graph H. In particular, this implies that Maximum k-Colorable Subgraph is polynomial-time solvable on P_5-free graphs. This answers an open question from Agrawal, Lima, Lokshtanov, Saurabh & Sharma [SODA 2024]. This also improves the $n^{O(ω(G))}$-time algorithm for Maximum Partial H-Coloring by Chudnovsky, King, Pilipczuk, Rzążewski & Spirkl [SIDMA 2021] to polynomial-time algorithm.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

QPTAS for MWIS and finding large sparse induced subgraphs in graphs with few independent long holes

We present a quasipolynomial-time approximation scheme (QPTAS) for the Maximum Independent Set (\textsc{MWIS}) in graphs with a bounded number of pairwise vertex-disjoint and non-adjacent long induced cycles. More formally, for every fixed $s$ and $t$, we show a QPTAS for \textsc{MWIS} in graphs that exclude $sC_t$ as an induced minor. Combining this with known results, we obtain a QPTAS for the problem of finding a largest induced subgraph of bounded treewidth with given hereditary property definable in Counting Monadic Second Order Logic, in the same classes of graphs. This is a step towards a conjecture of Gartland and Lokshtanov which asserts that for any planar graph $H$, graphs that exclude $H$ as an induced minor admit a polynomial-time algorithm for the latter problem. This conjecture is notoriously open and even its weaker variants are confirmed only for very restricted graphs $H$.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Finding large sparse induced subgraphs in graphs of small (but not very small) tree-independence number

The independence number of a tree decomposition is the size of a largest independent set contained in a single bag. The tree-independence number of a graph $G$ is the minimum independence number of a tree decomposition of $G$. As shown recently by Lima et al. [ESA~2024], a large family of optimization problems asking for a maximum-weight induced subgraph of bounded treewidth, satisfying a given \textsf{CMSO}$_2$ property, can be solved in polynomial time in graphs whose tree-independence number is bounded by some constant~$k$. However, the complexity of the algorithm of Lima et al. grows rapidly with $k$, making it useless if the tree-independence number is superconstant. In this paper we present a refined version of the algorithm. We show that the same family of problems can be solved in time~$n^{\mathcal{O}(k)}$, where $n$ is the number of vertices of the instance, $k$ is the tree-independence number, and the $\mathcal{O}(\cdot)$-notation hides factors depending on the treewidth bound of the solution and the considered \textsf{CMSO}$_2$ property. This running time is quasipolynomial for classes of graphs with polylogarithmic tree-independence number; several such classes were recently discovered. Furthermore, the running time is subexponential for many natural classes of geometric intersection graphs -- namely, ones that admit balanced clique-based separators of sublinear size.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2025

Tree-independence number VII. Excluding a star

We prove that for every fixed integer $s$ and every planar graph $H$, the class of $H$-induced-minor-free and $K_{1,s}$-induced-subgraph-free graphs has polylogarithmic tree-independence number. This is a weakening of a conjecture of Dallard, Krnc, Kwon, Milanič, Munaro, Štorgel, and Wiederrecht.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

Complexity Aspects of Homomorphisms of Ordered Graphs

We examine ordered graphs, defined as graphs with linearly ordered vertices, from the perspective of homomorphisms (and colorings) and their complexities. We demonstrate the corresponding computational and parameterized complexities, along with algorithms associated with related problems. These questions are interesting, and we show that numerous problems lead to various complexities. The reduction from homomorphisms of unordered structures to homomorphisms of ordered graphs is proved, achieved with the use of ordered bipartite graphs. We then determine the NP-completeness of the problem of finding ordered homomorphisms of ordered graphs and the XP and W[1]-hard nature of this problem parameterized by the number of vertices of the image ordered graph. Classes of ordered graphs for which this problem can be solved in polynomial time are also presented.

cs.CC↗