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Rohan Kapadia

Publications and source records attributed to Rohan Kapadia.

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Densities of minor-closed graph classes are rational

For a graph class $\mathcal{F}$, let $ex_{\mathcal{F}}(n)$ denote the maximum number of edges in a graph in $\mathcal{F}$ on $n$ vertices. We show that for every proper minor-closed graph class $\mathcal{F}$ the function $ex_{\mathcal{F}}(n) - \Delta n$ is eventually periodic, where $\Delta = \lim_{n \to \infty} ex_{\mathcal{F}}(n)/n$ is the limiting density of $\mathcal{F}$. This confirms a special case of a conjecture by Geelen, Gerards and Whittle. In particular, the limiting density of every proper minor-closed graph class is rational, which answers a question of Eppstein. As a major step in the proof we show that every proper minor-closed graph class contains a subclass of bounded pathwidth with the same limiting density, confirming a conjecture of the second author. Finally, we investigate the set of limiting densities of classes of graphs closed under taking topological minors.

math.CO

Asymptotic Density of Graphs Excluding Disconnected Minors

For a graph $H$, let $$c_{\infty}(H)= \lim_{n \to \infty}\max\frac{|E(G)|}{n},$$ where the maximum is taken over all graphs $G$ on $n$ vertices not containing $H$ as a minor. Thus $c_{\infty}(H)$ is the asymptotic maximum density of graphs not containing $H$ as a minor. Employing a structural lemma due to Eppstein, we prove new upper bounds on $c_{\infty}(H)$ for disconnected graphs $H$. In particular, we determine $c_{\infty}(H)$ whenever $H$ is union of cycles. Finally, we investigate the behaviour of $c_\infty(sK_r)$ for fixed $r$, where $sK_r$ denotes the union of $s$ disjoint copies of the complete graph on $r$ vertices. Improving on a result of Thomason, we show that $$c_\infty(sK_r)=s(r-1)-1 \mathrm{\; for \;} s =Ω\left(\frac{\log{r}}{\log\log{r}}\right),$$ and $$c_\infty(sK_r)>s(r-1)-1 \mathrm{\; for \;} s ={o}\left(\frac{\log{r}}{\log\log{r}}\right).$$

math.CO

The extremal functions of classes of matroids of bounded branch-width

For a set of matroids $\mathcal{M}$, let $ex_\mathcal{M}(n)$ be the maximum size of a simple rank-$n$ matroid in $\mathcal{M}$. We prove that, for any finite field $\mathbb{F}$, if $\mathcal{M}$ is a minor-closed class of $\mathbb{F}$-representable matroids of bounded branch-width, then $\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} ex_\mathcal{M}(n) / n$ exists and is a rational number, $Δ$. We also show that $ex_\mathcal{M}(n) - Δn$ is periodic when $n$ is sufficiently large and that $ex_\mathcal{M}$ is achieved by a subclass of $\mathcal{M}$ of bounded path-width.

math.CO

Representability of matroids with a large projective geometry minor

We prove that for each prime power $q$ there is an integer $n$ such that if $M$ is a $3$-connected, representable matroid with a PG$(n-1,q)$-minor and no $U_{2,q^2+1}$-minor, then $M$ is representable over GF$(q)$. We also show that for $\ell >= 2$, if $M$ is a $3$-connected, representable matroid of sufficiently high rank with no $U_{2,\ell+2}$-minor and $|E(M)| \geq (4\ell)^{r(M)/2}$, then $M$ is representable over a field of order at most $\ell$.

math.CO

Lines, betweenness and metric spaces

A classic theorem of Euclidean geometry asserts that any noncollinear set of $n$ points in the plane determines at least $n$ distinct lines. Chen and Chvátal conjectured that this holds for an arbitrary finite metric space, with a certain natural definition of lines in a metric space. We prove that in any metric space with $n$ points, either there is a line containing all the points or there are at least $Ω(\sqrt{n})$ lines. This is the first polynomial lower bound on the number of lines in general finite metric spaces. In the more general setting of pseudometric betweenness, we prove a corresponding bound of $Ω(n^{2/5})$ lines. When the metric space is induced by a connected graph, we prove that either there is a line containing all the points or there are $Ω(n^{4/7})$ lines, improving the previous $Ω(n^{2/7})$ bound. We also prove that the number of lines in an $n$-point metric space is at least $n / 5w$, where $w$ is the number of different distances in the space, and we give an $Ω(n^{4/3})$ lower bound on the number of lines in metric spaces induced by graphs with constant diameter, as well as spaces where all the positive distances are from \{1, 2, 3\}.

math.CO

The Chen-Chvátal conjecture for metric spaces induced by distance-hereditary graphs

A special case of a theorem of De Bruijn and Erdős asserts that any noncollinear set of $n$ points in the plane determines at least $n$ distinct lines. Chen and Chvátal conjectured a generalization of this result to arbitrary finite metric spaces, with a particular definition of lines in a metric space. We prove it for metric spaces induced by connected distance-hereditary graphs -- a graph $G$ is called distance-hereditary if the distance between two vertices $u$ and $v$ in any connected induced subgraph $H$ of $G$ is equal to the distance between $u$ and $v$ in $G$.

math.MG

Matroids with a modular 4-point line

A result of Seymour implies that any 3-connected matroid with a modular 3-point line is binary. We prove a similar characterization for 3-connected matroids with modular 4-point lines. We show that such a matroid is either representable over GF(3) or GF(4) or has an $F_7$-minor and either an $(F_7^-)$- or $(F_7^-)^*$-minor.

math.CO

Representation of matroids with a modular plane

We prove that if M is a vertically 4-connected matroid with a modular flat X of rank at least three, then every representation of M | X over a finite field F extends to a unique F-representation of M. A corollary is that when F has order q, any vertically 4-connected matroid with a PG(2, F)-restriction is either F-representable or has a U_{2, q^2+1}-minor. We also show that no excluded minor for the class of F-representable matroids has a PG(2, F)-restriction.

math.CO