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Questions tagged [graph-theory]

Graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects.

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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 ...
Akash Kumar's user avatar
  • 1,953
43 votes
3 answers
3k views

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 $2^{O(\sqrt{n \log n})}$. ...
Mohammad Al-Turkistany's user avatar
40 votes
10 answers
13k 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, ...
user avatar
39 votes
2 answers
1k 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)\...
David Eppstein's user avatar
38 votes
17 answers
5k 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-...
Shiva Kintali's user avatar
36 votes
3 answers
5k 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 ...
Aaron Roth's user avatar
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35 votes
4 answers
2k 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 ...
PartialOrder's user avatar
35 votes
3 answers
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 ...
Ealdwulf's user avatar
  • 562
32 votes
0 answers
6k views

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 $\{0,1,\ldots,n+1\}$. (...
Stasys's user avatar
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31 votes
5 answers
1k 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 ...
Yaroslav Bulatov's user avatar
31 votes
1 answer
900 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 ...
Shiva Kintali's user avatar
31 votes
1 answer
807 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 ...
András Salamon's user avatar
29 votes
4 answers
914 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, ...
Anthony Labarre's user avatar
28 votes
3 answers
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 ...
Jagadish's user avatar
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28 votes
4 answers
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 ...
András Salamon's user avatar
28 votes
2 answers
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 ...
László Kozma's user avatar
28 votes
1 answer
869 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. ...
joro's user avatar
  • 1,955
27 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why are Ramanujan graphs 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?
Dana Moshkovitz's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
13k 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 ...
scatman's user avatar
  • 301
27 votes
3 answers
908 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 ...
Timothy Sun's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
669 views

Is there a problem that is easy for cubic graphs 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, ...
Vinicius dos Santos's user avatar
27 votes
3 answers
983 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 ...
Yaroslav Bulatov's user avatar
27 votes
2 answers
794 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|...
Luca Trevisan's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
918 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 $\{1,\ldots,d-1\}$ ...
Yuval Filmus's user avatar
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27 votes
0 answers
1k 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 ...
Gil Kalai's user avatar
  • 5,983
26 votes
3 answers
1k 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 ...
user834's user avatar
  • 2,776
26 votes
2 answers
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, ...
David Eppstein's user avatar
26 votes
2 answers
5k 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. ...
William Macrae's user avatar
25 votes
6 answers
3k 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. ...
Joel Rybicki's user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
965 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-...
a3nm's user avatar
  • 8,234
25 votes
1 answer
798 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 ...
Dana Moshkovitz's user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
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 $...
Anthony Labarre's user avatar
24 votes
5 answers
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 ...
Arindam Pal's user avatar
  • 1,581
24 votes
2 answers
570 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 ...
Vinicius dos Santos's user avatar
24 votes
2 answers
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_%...
Regularity's user avatar
24 votes
3 answers
1k views

NP complete graph problems about structural properties

(This question is a bit of a "survey".) I'm currently working on a problem where I'm trying to partition the edges of a tournament into two sets, both of which are required to fulfill some ...
G. Bach's user avatar
  • 431
24 votes
2 answers
946 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 ...
Derrick Stolee's user avatar
24 votes
1 answer
882 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 ...
Shiva Kintali's user avatar
24 votes
2 answers
898 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 $(k,\epsilon)$-...
Piotr's user avatar
  • 971
24 votes
2 answers
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 ...
Delio M.'s user avatar
  • 343
24 votes
1 answer
599 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,...
Shiva Kintali's user avatar
23 votes
8 answers
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
Yaroslav Bulatov's user avatar
23 votes
5 answers
2k views

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 ...
Christian Lindig's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
2k 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 ...
Radu GRIGore's user avatar
  • 4,786
23 votes
2 answers
678 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, ...
Andras Farago's user avatar
23 votes
1 answer
536 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(...
Kostas's user avatar
  • 331
23 votes
1 answer
380 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 (...
Bart Jansen's user avatar
  • 5,245
23 votes
0 answers
2k views

$\Delta = 57, d=2$ Moore Graph

I am looking into the last open question regarding the existence of Moore Graphs of diameter 2. A problem that has been open in combinatorics for more than 55 years. You may recall that Hoffman and ...
Konstantinos Koiliaris's user avatar
22 votes
8 answers
4k 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 ...
Benjamin's user avatar
  • 345
22 votes
5 answers
3k 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 ...
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