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Thomas Zaslavsky

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Zaslavsky.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Strongly connectable digraphs and non-transitive dice

We give a new proof of the theorem of Boesch-Tindell and Farzad-Mahdian-Mahmoodian-Saberi-Sadri that a directed graph extends to a strongly connected digraph on the same vertex set if and only if it has no complete directed cut. Our proof bounds the number of edges needed for such an extension; we give examples to demonstrate sharpness. We apply the characterization to a problem on non-transitive dice.

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The Dynamics of the Forest Graph Operator

In 1966, Cummins introduced the "tree graph": the tree graph $\mathbf{T}(G)$ of a graph $G$ (possibly infinite) has all its spanning trees as vertices, and distinct such trees correspond to adjacent vertices if they differ in just one edge, i.e., two spanning trees $T_1$ and $T_2$ are adjacent if $T_2 = T_1 -e +f$ for some edges $e\in T_1$ and $f\notin T_1$. The tree graph of a connected graph need not be connected. To obviate this difficulty we define the "forest graph": let $G$ be a labeled graph of order $α$, finite or infinite, and let $\mathfrak{N}(G)$ be the set of all labeled maximal forests of $G$. The forest graph of $G$, denoted by $\mathbf{F}(G)$, is the graph with vertex set $\mathfrak{N}(G)$ in which two maximal forests $F_1$, $F_2$ of $G$ form an edge if and only if they differ exactly by one edge, i.e., $F_2 = F_1 -e +f$ for some edges $e\in F_1$ and $f\notin F_1$. Using the theory of cardinal numbers, Zorn's lemma, transfinite induction, the axiom of choice and the well-ordering principle, we determine the $\mathbf{F}$-convergence, $\mathbf{F}$-divergence, $\mathbf{F}$-depth and $\mathbf{F}$-stability of any graph $G$. In particular it is shown that a graph $G$ (finite or infinite) is $\mathbf{F}$-convergent if and only if $G$ has at most one cycle of length 3. The $\mathbf{F}$-stable graphs are precisely $K_3$ and $K_1$. The $\mathbf{F}$-depth of any graph $G$ different from $K_3$ and $K_1$ is finite. We also determine various parameters of $\mathbf{F}(G)$ for an infinite graph $G$, including the number, order, size, and degree of its components.

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Lattice Points in Orthotopes and a Huge Polynomial Tutte Invariant of Weighted Gain Graphs

A gain graph is a graph whose edges are orientably labelled from a group. A weighted gain graph is a gain graph with vertex weights from an abelian semigroup, where the gain group is lattice ordered and acts on the weight semigroup. For weighted gain graphs we establish basic properties and we present general dichromatic and forest-expansion polynomials that are Tutte invariants (they satisfy Tutte's deletion-contraction and multiplicative identities). Our dichromatic polynomial includes the classical graph one by Tutte, Zaslavsky's two for gain graphs, Noble and Welsh's for graphs with positive integer weights, and that of rooted integral gain graphs by Forge and Zaslavsky. It is not a universal Tutte invariant of weighted gain graphs; that remains to be found. An evaluation of one example of our polynomial counts proper list colorations of the gain graph from a color set with a gain-group action. When the gain group is Z^d, the lists are order ideals in the integer lattice Z^d, and there are specified upper bounds on the colors, then there is a formula for the number of bounded proper colorations that is a piecewise polynomial function of the upper bounds, of degree nd where n is the order of the graph. This example leads to graph-theoretical formulas for the number of integer lattice points in an orthotope but outside a finite number of affinographic hyperplanes, and for the number of n x d integral matrices that lie between two specified matrices but not in any of certain subspaces defined by simple row equations.

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Characterization of Line-Consistent Signed Graphs

The line graph of a graph with signed edges carries vertex signs. A vertex-signed graph is consistent if every circle (cycle, circuit) has positive vertex-sign product. Acharya, Acharya, and Sinha recently characterized line-consistent signed graphs, i.e., edge-signed graphs whose line graphs, with the naturally induced vertex signature, are consistent. Their proof applies Hoede's relatively difficult characterization of consistent vertex-signed graphs. We give a simple proof that does not depend on Hoede's theorem as well as a structural description of line-consistent signed graphs.

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A $q$-Queens Problem. II. The Square Board

We apply to the $n\times n$ chessboard the counting theory from Part I for nonattacking placements of chess pieces with unbounded straight-line moves, such as the queen. Part I showed that the number of ways to place $q$ identical nonattacking pieces is given by a quasipolynomial function of $n$ of degree $2q$, whose coefficients are (essentially) polynomials in $q$ that depend cyclically on $n$. Here we study the periods of the quasipolynomial and its coefficients, which are bounded by functions, not well understood, of the piece's move directions, and we develop exact formulas for the very highest coefficients. The coefficients of the three highest powers of $n$ do not vary with $n$. On the other hand, we present simple pieces for which the fourth coefficient varies periodically. We develop detailed properties of counting quasipolynomials that will be applied in sequels to partial queens, whose moves are subsets of those of the queen, and the nightrider, whose moves are extended knight's moves. We conclude with the first, though strange, formula for the classical $n$-Queens Problem and with several conjectures and open problems.

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Consistency in the Naturally Vertex-Signed Line Graph of a Signed Graph

A signed graph is a graph whose edges are signed. In a vertex-signed graph the vertices are signed. The latter is called consistent if the product of signs in every circle is positive. The line graph of a signed graph is naturally vertex-signed. Based on a characterization by Acharya, Acharya, and Sinha in 2009, we give constructions for the signed simple graphs whose naturally vertex-signed line graph is consistent.

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Interference in Graphs

Given a graph $I=(V, E),$ $\emptyset \ne D \subseteq V,$ and an arbitrary nonempty set $X,$ an injective function $f: V\to 2^X \setminus \{\emptyset\}$ is an interference of $D$ with respect to $I,$ if for every vertex $u\in V\setminus D$ there exists a neighbor $v\in D$ such that $f(u)\cap f(v) \ne \emptyset.$ We initiate a study of interference in graphs. We study special cases of the difficult problem of finding a smallest possible set $X,$ and we decide when, given a graph $G=(V,E(G))$ (resp., its line graph $L(G)$) the open neighborhood function $N_G: V \to 2^V$ (resp., $N_{L(G)}: E \to 2^E$) or its complementary function is an interference with respect to the complete graph $I=K_n.$

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A $q$-Queens Problem. I. General Theory

By means of the Ehrhart theory of inside-out polytopes we establish a general counting theory for nonattacking placements of chess pieces with unbounded straight-line moves, such as the queen, on a polygonal convex board. The number of ways to place $q$ identical nonattacking pieces on a board of variable size $n$ but fixed shape is given by a quasipolynomial function of $n$, of degree $2q$, whose coefficients are polynomials in $q$. The number of combinatorially distinct types of nonattacking configuration is the evaluation of our quasipolynomial at $n=-1$. The quasipolynomial has an exact formula that depends on a matroid of weighted graphs, which is in turn determined by incidence properties of lines in the real affine plane. We study the highest-degree coefficients and also the period of the quasipolynomial, which is needed if the quasipolynomial is to be interpolated from data, and which is bounded by some function, not well understood, of the board and the piece's move directions. In subsequent parts we specialize to the square board and then to subsets of the queen's moves, and we prove exact formulas (most but not all already known empirically) for small numbers of queens, bishops, and nightriders. Each part concludes with open questions, both specialized and broad.

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Six signed Petersen graphs, and their automorphisms

Up to switching isomorphism there are six ways to put signs on the edges of the Petersen graph. We prove this by computing switching invariants, especially frustration indices and frustration numbers, switching automorphism groups, chromatic numbers, and numbers of proper 1-colorations, thereby illustrating some of the ideas and methods of signed graph theory. We also calculate automorphism groups and clusterability indices, which are not invariant under switching. In the process we develop new properties of signed graphs, especially of their switching automorphism groups.

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On Adjacency Matrices and Descriptors of Signed Cycle Graphs

This paper deals with adjacency matrices of signed cycle graphs and chemical descriptors based on them. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrices are calculated and their efficacy in classifying different signed cycles is determined. The efficacy of some numerical indices is also examined.

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Matrices in the Theory of Signed Simple Graphs

I discuss the work of many authors on various matrices used to study signed graphs, concentrating on adjacency and incidence matrices and the closely related topics of Kirchhoff (`Laplacian') matrices, line graphs, and very strong regularity.

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Directionally 2-Signed and Bidirected Graphs

An edge uv in a graph Γ is directionally 2-signed (or, (2,d)-signed) by an ordered pair (a,b), a,b in {+,-}, if the label l(uv) = (a,b) from u to v, and l(vu) = (b,a) from v to u. Directionally 2-signed graphs are equivalent to bidirected graphs, where each end of an edge has a sign. A bidirected graph implies a signed graph, where each edge has a sign. We extend a theorem of Sriraj and Sampathkumar by proving that the signed graph is antibalanced (all even cycles and only even cycles have positive edge sign product) if, and only if, in the bidirected graph, after suitable reorientation of edges every vertex is a source or a sink.

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Signed Graphs and Geometry

These lecture notes are a personal introduction to signed graphs, concentrating on the aspects that have been most persistently interesting to me. They are just a few corners of signed graph theory; I am leaving out a great deal. The emphasis is on the way signed graphs arise naturally from geometry, especially from the geometry of the classical root systems. Most of the properties I discuss generalize those of unsigned graphs, but the constructions and proofs are often more complicated. My aim is a coherent presentation of the subject, with a few illustrative proofs and adequate references. Hence the arrangement of the notes is topical with only occasional remarks about the historical course of development. Though this is mainly an expository survey, some of the results have not hitherto been published.

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Which Exterior Powers are Balanced?

A signed graph is a graph whose edges are given (-1,+1) weights. In such a graph, the sign of a cycle is the product of the signs of its edges. A signed graph is called balanced if its adjacency matrix is similar to the adjacency matrix of an unsigned graph via conjugation by a diagonal (-1,+1) matrix. For a signed graph $Σ$ on n vertices, its exterior k-th power, where k=1,..,n-1, is a graph $\bigwedge^{k} Σ$ whose adjacency matrix is given by \[ A({$\bigwedge^{k} Σ$}) = P^{\dagger} A(Σ^{\Box k}) P, \] where P is the projector onto the anti-symmetric subspace of the k-fold tensor product space $(\mathbb{C}^{n})^{\otimes k}$ and $Σ^{\Box k}$ is the k-fold Cartesian product of $Σ$ with itself. The exterior power creates a signed graph from any graph, even unsigned. We prove sufficient and necessary conditions so that $\bigwedge^{k} Σ$ is balanced. For k=1,..,n-2, the condition is that either $Σ$ is a signed path or $Σ$ is a signed cycle that is balanced for odd k or is unbalanced for even k; for k=n-1, the condition is that each even cycle in $Σ$ is positive and each odd cycle in $Σ$ is negative.

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Nonattacking Queens in a Rectangular Strip

The function that counts the number of ways to place nonattacking identical chess or fairy chess pieces in a rectangular strip of fixed height and variable width, as a function of the width, is a piecewise polynomial which is eventually a polynomial and whose behavior can be described in some detail. We deduce this by converting the problem to one of counting lattice points outside an affinographic hyperplane arrangement, which Forge and Zaslavsky solved by means of weighted integral gain graphs. We extend their work by developing both generating functions and a detailed analysis of deletion and contraction for weighted integral gain graphs. For chess pieces we find the asymptotic probability that a random configuration is nonattacking, and we obtain exact counts of nonattacking configurations of small numbers of queens, bishops, knights, and nightriders.

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On Products and Line Graphs of Signed Graphs, their Eigenvalues and Energy

In this article we examine the adjacency and Laplacian matrices and their eigenvalues and energies of the general product (non-complete extended $p$-sum, or NEPS) of signed graphs. We express the adjacency matrix of the product in terms of the Kronecker matrix product and the eigenvalues and energy of the product in terms of those of the factor signed graphs. For the Cartesian product we characterize balance and compute expressions for the Laplacian eigenvalues and Laplacian energy. We give exact results for those signed planar, cylindrical and toroidal grids which are Cartesian products of signed paths and cycles. We also treat the eigenvalues and energy of the line graphs of signed graphs, and the Laplacian eigenvalues and Laplacian energy in the regular case, with application to the line graphs of signed grids that are Cartesian products and to the line graphs of all-positive and all-negative complete graphs.

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Six Little Squares and How Their Numbers Grow

We find the numbers of $3 \times 3$ magic, semimagic, and magilatin squares, as functions either of the magic sum or of an upper bound on the entries in the square. Our results on magic and semimagic squares differ from previous ones in that we require the entries in the square to be distinct from each other and we derive our results not by \emph{ad hoc} reasoning but from the general geometric and algebraic method of our paper "An enumerative geometry for magic and magilatin labellings". Here we illustrate that method with a detailed analysis of $3\times3$ squares.

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Perpendicular dissections of space

For each pair $(Q_i,Q_j)$ of reference points and each real number $r$ there is a unique hyperplane $h \perp Q_iQ_j$ such that $d(P,Q_i)^2 - d(P,Q_j)^2 = r$ for points $P$ in $h$. Take $n$ reference points in $d$-space and for each pair $(Q_i,Q_j)$ a finite set of real numbers. The corresponding perpendiculars form an arrangement of hyperplanes. We explore the structure of the semilattice of intersections of the hyperplanes for generic reference points. The main theorem is that there is a real, additive gain graph (this is a graph with an additive real number associated invertibly to each edge) whose set of balanced flats has the same structure as the intersection semilattice. We examine the requirements for genericity, which are related to behavior at infinity but remain mysterious; also, variations in the construction rules for perpendiculars. We investigate several particular arrangements with a view to finding the exact numbers of faces of each dimension. The prototype, the arrangement of all perpendicular bisectors, was studied by Good and Tideman, motivated by a geometric voting theory. Most of our particular examples are suggested by extensions of that theory in which voters exercise finer discrimination. Throughout, we propose many research problems.

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