Questions tagged [graph-theory]
Graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects.
1,273
questions
61
votes
5answers
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The origin of the notion of treewidth
My question today is (as usual) a bit silly; but I would request you to kindly consider it.
I wanted to know about the genesis and/or motivation behind the treewidth concept. I sure understand that ...
40
votes
3answers
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Consequences of a quasi-polynomial time algorithm for the graph isomorphism problem
The Graph Isomorphism problem (GI) is arguably
the best known candidate for an NP-intermediate problem.
The best known algorithm is sub-exponential algorithm
with run-time $2^{O(\sqrt{n \log n})}$. ...
asked Nov 25 '13 at 12:00
Mohammad Al-Turkistany
19.3k4 gold badges51 silver badges133 bronze badges
39
votes
2answers
915 views
How many distinct colors are needed to lower-bound the choosability of a graph?
A graph is $k$-choosable (also known as $k$-list-colorable) if, for every function $f$ that maps vertices to sets of $k$ colors, there is a color assignment $c$ such that, for all vertices $v$, $c(v)\...
38
votes
17answers
4k views
Conjectures implying Four Color Theorem
Four Color Theorem (4CT) states that every planar graph is four colorable. There are two proofs given by [Appel,Haken 1976] and [Robertson,Sanders,Seymour,Thomas 1997]. Both these proofs are computer-...
36
votes
9answers
11k views
Data for testing graph algorithms
I am looking for a source of huge data sets to test some graph algorithm implemention. Please also provide some information about the type/distribution (e.g. directed/undirected, simple/not simple, ...
35
votes
3answers
4k views
Max-cut with negative weight edges
Let $G = (V, E, w)$ be a graph with weight function $w:E\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$. The max-cut problem is to find:
$$\arg\max_{S \subset V} \sum_{(u,v) \in E : u \in S, v \not \in S}w(u,v)$$
If the ...
34
votes
3answers
2k views
Given a weighted dag, is there an O(V+E) algorithm to replace each weight with the sum of its ancestor weights?
The problem, of course, is double counting. It's easy enough to do for certain classes of DAGs = a tree, or even a serial-parallel tree. The only algorithm I have found which works on general DAGs in ...
31
votes
5answers
961 views
what is easy for minor-excluded graphs?
Approximating number of colorings seems to be easy on minor-excluded graphs using algorithm by Jung/Shah. What are other examples of problems that are hard on general graphs but easy on minor-excluded ...
31
votes
1answer
865 views
Treewidth and the NL vs L Problem
ST-Connectivity is the problem of determining whether there exists a directed path between two distinguished vertices $s$ and $t$ in a directed graph $G(V,E)$. Whether this problem can be solved in ...
30
votes
1answer
708 views
Can graph isomorphism be decided with square root bounded nondeterminism?
Bounded nondeterminism associates a function $g(n)$ with a class $C$ of languages accepted by resource-bounded deterministic Turing machines, to form a new class $g$-$C$. This class consists of those ...
30
votes
0answers
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Combinatorics of Bellman-Ford or how to make cyclic graphs acyclic?
Roughly speaking, my question is:
How costly is to make a cyclic graph
acyclic while preserving all simple $s$-$t$ paths?
Let $K_n$ be a complete undirected graph on vertices $\{0,1,\ldots,n+1\}$.
(...
28
votes
3answers
1k views
How to produce a random graph that does not have a Hamiltonian cycle?
Let class A denote all the graphs of size $n$ which have a Hamiltonian cycle. It is easy to produce a random graph from this class--take $n$ isolated nodes, add a random Hamiltonian cycle and then add ...
28
votes
4answers
1k views
Maximal classes for which largest independent set can be found in polynomial time?
The ISGCI lists over 1100 classes of graphs. For many of these we know whether INDEPENDENT SET can be decided in polynomial time; these are sometimes called IS-easy classes. I would like to compile ...
28
votes
4answers
823 views
Proofs obtained only through spectral graph theory
I have an increasing interest in spectral graph theory, which I find fascinating, and I've started collecting a few documents that I have yet to read more thoroughly than what I so far have.
However, ...
28
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is “topological sorting” topological?
Why is "topological sorting" called "topological"? Is it just because it determines an order without altering any vertices or edges -- like a doughnut and coffee cup are topologically equivalent? Why ...
27
votes
2answers
724 views
Papers to credit for spectral partitioning of graphs
If $G=(V,E)$ is an undirected $d$-regular graph and $S$ is a subset of the vertices of cardinality $\leq |V|/2$, call the edge expansion of $S$ the quantity
$\phi(S) := \frac {Edges(S,V-S)}{d\cdot |S|...
27
votes
1answer
866 views
Coloring complexity of graphs
Suppose $G$ is a graph with coloring number $d = \chi(G)$. Consider the following game between Alice and Bob. At each round, Alice picks a vertex, and Bob answers with a color in $\{1,\ldots,d-1\}$ ...
26
votes
2answers
1k views
Maximal/maximum independent sets
Is there something known about the class of graphs with the property that all maximal independent sets have the same cardinality and are therefore maximum ISs?
For example, take a set of points in ...
26
votes
3answers
926 views
When is relaxed counting hard?
Suppose we relax the problem of counting proper colorings by counting weighted colorings as follows: every proper coloring gets weight 1 and every improper coloring gets weight $c^v$ where $c$ is some ...
26
votes
1answer
731 views
Are there subexponential algorithms for PLANAR SAT known?
Some NP-hard problems which are exponential on general
graphs are subexponential on planar graphs because the
treewidth is at most $4.9 \sqrt{|V(G)|}$ and they are exponential
in the treewidth.
...
25
votes
2answers
1k views
Why Ramanujan graphs are named after Ramanujan?
I recently taught expanders, and introduced the notion of Ramanujan graphs.
Michael Forbes asked why they are called this way, and I had to admit I don't know.
Anyone?
25
votes
3answers
944 views
Reverse Graph Spectra Problem?
Usually one constructs a graph and then asks questions about the adjacency matrix's (or some close relative like the Laplacian) eigenvalue decomposition (also called the spectra of a graph).
But what ...
25
votes
2answers
631 views
The complexity of determining if a fixed graph is a minor of another
The result by Robertson and Seymour demonstrates an $O(n^3)$ algorithm for testing whether a fixed graph $G$ is a minor of $H$. I have two and a half questions on this topic:
1) It appears that there ...
25
votes
1answer
652 views
Regularity Lemma for Sparse Graphs
Szemeredi's Regularity Lemma says that every dense graph can be approximated as a union of $O(1)$ many bipartite expander graphs. More accurately, there's a partition of most vertices into $O(1)$ sets ...
25
votes
1answer
1k views
An edge partitioning problem on cubic graphs
Has the complexity of the following problem been studied?
Input: a cubic (or $3$-regular) graph $G=(V,E)$, a natural upper bound $t$
Question: is there a partition of $E$ into $|E|/3$ parts of size $...
24
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the best exact algorithm to compute the core of a graph?
A graph H is a core if any homomorphism from H to itself is a bijection. A subgraph H of G is a core of G if H is a core and there is a homomorphism from G to H.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_%...
24
votes
2answers
813 views
Is there a direct/natural reduction to count non-bipartite perfect matchings using the permanent?
Counting the number of perfect matchings in a bipartite graph is immediately reducible to computing the permanent. Since finding a perfect matching in a non-bipartite graph is in NP, there exists ...
24
votes
2answers
3k views
Hamiltonicity of k-regular graphs
It is known that it is NP-complete to test whether a Hamiltonian cycle exists in a 3-regular graph, even if it is planar (Garey, Johnson, and Tarjan, SIAM J. Comput. 1976) or bipartite (Akiyama, ...
24
votes
2answers
827 views
Space efficient “industrial” unbalanced expanders
I am looking for unbalanced expanders that are "good" and "space-efficient". Specifically, a bipartite left-regular graph $G=(A,B,E)$, $|A|=n$, $|B|=m$, with left degree $d$ is a $(k,\epsilon)$-...
24
votes
1answer
543 views
Reconstruction Conjecture and Partial 2-trees
Reconstruction conjecture says that graphs (with at least three vertices) are determined uniquely by their vertex deleted subgraphs. This conjecture is five decades old.
Searching relevant literature,...
24
votes
0answers
980 views
Counting Isomorphism Types of Graphs
Polya's counting theorem leads to an algorithm for counting (precisely) the number of isomorphism types of graphs with $n$ vertices in $\exp (\sqrt n )$ steps. From Polya theorem you get a formula ...
23
votes
6answers
2k views
Graph families which have polynomial time algorithms for computing the chromatic number
Post updated on 31st of August: I added a summary of the current answers below the original question. Thanks for all the interesting answers! Of course, everyone can continue posting any new findings. ...
23
votes
8answers
3k views
graphs from real-life problems
Where can I find graphs relevant to real-life problems?
Two repositories I know of are:
University of Florida's Sparse Matrix Collection
Bodlaender's TreewidthLib
23
votes
5answers
3k views
Approximation algorithms for Maximum Independent Set on special classes of graphs
We know that Maximum Independent Set (MIS) is hard to approximate within a factor of $n^{1-\epsilon}$ for any $\epsilon > 0$ unless P = NP. What are some special classes of graphs for which better ...
23
votes
5answers
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Good seating arrangements for sequence of meals and tables of size k for a group of people
Given a set $S$ of people I'd like to sit them for a sequence of meals at tables of size $k$. (Of course, there are enough tables to sit all $|S|$ for each meal.) I'd like to arrange this such that ...
23
votes
3answers
1k views
What bounds can be put on counting reachable nodes in a dag?
Given is a dag. You want to label each node by how many nodes are reachable from it. $O(V(V+E))$ is a trivial upper bound; $\Omega(V+E)$ is a lower bound (I think). Is there a better algorithm? Is ...
23
votes
1answer
838 views
Logspace algorithms on graphs with bounded tree width
Tree width measures how close a graph is to a tree. It is NP-hard to compute tree width. The best known approximation algorithm achieves $O(\sqrt{{\log}n})$ factor.
Courcelle's theorem states that ...
23
votes
2answers
1k views
Is the Cheeger constant $\mathsf{NP}$-hard?
I have read in uncountably many articles that determining the Cheeger constant of a graph is $\mathsf{NP}$-hard. It seems to be a folk theorem, but I have never found either a quote or a proof for ...
23
votes
2answers
501 views
Which graph parameters are NOT concentrated on random graphs?
It is well known that many important graph parameters show (strong) concentration on random graphs, at least in some range of the edge probability. Some typical examples are the chromatic number, ...
23
votes
1answer
680 views
Is it still open to determine the complexity of computing the treewidth of planar graphs?
For a constant $k \in \mathbb{N}$, one can determine in linear time, given an input graph $G$, whether its treewidth is $\leq k$. However, when both $k$ and $G$ are given as input, the problem is NP-...
23
votes
1answer
454 views
How big is the variance of the treewidth of a random graph in G(n,p)?
I am trying to find how close $tw(G)$ and $E[tw(G)]$ really are, when $G \in G(n,p=c/n)$
and $c>1$ is a constant not depending on n (so $E[tw(G)] = \Theta(n)$). My estimate is that $tw(G) \leq E[tw(...
23
votes
2answers
3k views
Natural CLIQUE to k-Color reduction
There is clearly a reduction from CLIQUE to k-Color because they're both NP-Complete. In fact, I can construct one by composing a reduction from CLIQUE to 3-SAT with a reduction from 3-SAT to k-Color. ...
23
votes
1answer
344 views
Cliquewidth of Almost Cographs
(I posted this question to MathOverflow two weeks ago, but so far without a rigorous answer)
I have a question about graph width measures of undirected simple graphs. It is well-known that cographs (...
22
votes
8answers
3k views
NP-hard problems on paths
everybody knows there exist many decision problems which are NP-hard on general graphs, but I'm interested in problems that are even NP-hard when the underlying graph is a path. So, can you help me to ...
22
votes
5answers
2k views
Program for computing Tree decomposition of a graph
Does anybody know of an open-source program for computing Tree decomposition of graphs for a fixed "k"(width)? I know that the problem of finding Tree-Decomposition is NP-Hard for variable "k", but my ...
22
votes
2answers
529 views
Relation between hardness of recognition of a graph class and forbidden subgraph characterization
I'm considering graph classes that can be characterized by forbidden subgraphs.
If a graph class has a finite set of forbidden subgraphs, then there is a trivial polynomial time recognition algorithm ...
22
votes
2answers
1k views
Graphs in which all shortest paths are unique
I'm looking for undirected, unweighted, connected graphs $G=(V,E)$, in which for every pair $u,v \in V$, there is a unique $u \rightarrow v$ path that realizes the distance $d(u,v)$.
Is this class of ...
22
votes
5answers
9k views
Vertex Cover applications in the real world
What applications does the Vertex Cover Problem have in the real world?
Which industry or research projects use actually implemented software that is based on theoretical results for the Vertex Cover ...
22
votes
1answer
545 views
Is there a problem that is easy for cubic graph but hard for graphs with maximum degree 3?
Cubic graphs are graphs where every vertex has degree 3. They have been extensively studied and I'm aware that several NP-hard problems remain NP-hard even restricted to subclasses of cubic graphs, ...
22
votes
1answer
413 views
Exact planar electrical flow
Consider an electrical network modeled as a planar graph G, where each edge represents a 1Ω resistor. How quickly can we compute the exact effective resistance between two vertices in G? ...
