Vertex Splitting, Parity Subgraphs and Circuit Covers
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All other standard graph-theoretic terms that are used in this paper can be found for instance in 13] . Vertex splitting, parity subgraphs Definition 1.2 I~et G be a bridge-less groph. A family C of circuits of G and circuit covers is called a circuit cover of G iJ cach edge of G is contained in some circuit ofC. Cun-Quan Zhang' Definition 1.3 Let C be a circuit cover of a graph G and v E V(G). The Department of Mathematics depth of the circuit cover C at the vertex v i., the number of circuits ofC West Virginia University containing v and is denoted by cdc(v). The depth of the circuit cover C is Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6310 max{cdc(v) : v E V(G)} and is denoted by cdc(G). email: [email protected] The following (!onjecture was presented by Laszl<l Pyllcr a.t the Julius Petcrsen Graph Theory Conference, Denmark, l!J90. Conject~re 1.1 (Pyber, If)) Each bridge-less glnph G with maximum degree .6.( G) has a circuit cover C such that AUSTRACT. Let G be a 2-edge-coTlnccted graph and v be a vertex of G and F C F' c E(v) such that 1 ~"IFI and cdc(G) ::; .6.(G). IFI + 2 = W/I ~ d(v) - 1. Then there is a subset P* such 1Iiat F C F* C F' (here, IF' I = IFI + I), and the graph ob In this paper, we prove that tained from G by splitting the edges of F* away from v remains 2-edge-connectcd unless v is a cut-vcrtex of G. This generalizes Theorem 1.1 Every blidge-Iess groph G has a circuit cover C such that a very useful Vertex-Splitting Lemma of Flcischncr, Let C be G) a circuit covcr of a bridge-less graph G. The depth of C is the the depth of C is at most .6.( + 2. smallest intcgcr k such that every vertex of G is contained in at most k circuits of C. It is conjectured by L. Pyber that every Theorem 1.2 If a bridge-less graph G admits a nowhere-zero 4-flow or bridge-less graph G have a circuit cover C such that the depth contains no subdivision of the Peter.~en gmph, then G has (l circuit cover C of C is at 1Il0st tl.(G). In this papcr, we prove that (i) . every such Utat the depth ofC is at most 2r.6.(G)j3]. bridge-less graph G has a circuit cover C such that the depth of Cis at most tl.(G) +2 and (ii). if a bridge-less graph G admits a Let II be a subgraph of G. The set of edges of II incident with v is nowhere-zero 4-now or contains no subdivision of the Petersen denoted by E/I (v). The number of components of a graph G is denoted by graph, then G has a circuit cover C such that the depth of C is w(G). at most 2r tl.(G)/3l- Definition 1.4 Let G be a gmph and v be a vel'tex of G and F c E(v). The gmph Glu;F! obtained from G by splitting the edges of F away from v, (that is, adding a Tlew vertex v' and changing Ule end v of the edges of F 1 Introduction to be v'. See fi,qure J). Note that the new vertex cr'eat ed in the .~pliltin,q F Definitioll 1.1 A circuit oj a graph is a connected f-regular subgroph, away fmm v i., always denoted by v' in the contest. while a cycle oj a grnph i., a .,ubgraph with even degree at every vertex. A bridge b of a groph G i., an edge of G that is not contained in any circuit ofG. Theorem 1.3 (Fleischner (4), or see 17, 8)) Let G be a connected and bridge-less graph and v E V(G) (with d(v) ~ 4) and eO,elte2 E Ec(v). ·Partial support provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant DMS- 9306379 In the case of v being a cut-vertex, choose co, C2 from distinct blocks of C. Then either Glu;{eo,c,}! or Glu;{Co.c,}! is connected and bridge-Ie.,s. JCMCC 20 (1996), pp. 206-216 207 if either v' and v are in two distinct components or there ar'e a pair of edge-disjoint paths in G(v;FJ joining v' and v. Proof. If G(v;F] has a bridge b, then there must be a path P of G(v;FJ 0----0 0----0 joining v', v and containing b since G is bridge-less and each circuit of G containing b is broken into a path because of the splitting of the vertex v. Thus, v', v are in the same component of G(v;FJ and we assume that there are a pair of edge-disjoint paths S I, S2 joining v', v in G(v;FJ. Without loss of generality, let SI be a path not containing the edge b. Thus, the syrrunetric difference of P and SI yields a cycle of G(v;F] containing b. This contradicts that b is a bridge of G(v;F]' The another direction of the lemma is tri vial. 0 Lemma 2.2 Let G be a connected, bridge-le.~s graph and v be a ver·tex of G and F c.E(v) such that 2 ~ IFI ~ dc(v) - 2. If the graph G' = G(v;F( has a br'idge C E Ec'(v' ) (or e E Ec'(v)), then either G(v;F\{cl] or G(v;FU{cl] is F not connected. 0- o :.- F -0 Proof. Without loss of generality, we supposc that G is connected. Assume E Ec'(v ). v'x Figure 1: G and Glv;F]: splitting F away from v that G' has a bridge e ' The bridge e = must be contained in a path connecting v and v' since G is bridge-less and connect.ed. lIence G' is connected and G' \ {c} is discolHlccled with x contained in the component Theorem 1.3 is the well-known vertex-splitting lemma which has been containing v but not v'. Therefore G(v;F\{e}J is disconnected. 0 used by various authors in the studios of compatible decompositions, integer Proof of Theorem 1.4. Let F' \ F = {CI,C2} ' Let lIj = G(v;I-'U{c;}] for flows, cyclc covers and graph colorings. (For instance, [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], j = 1,2. As.'iume that both III and 112 have bridges and hoth G(v;FJ and [9], [12J, [1:3J, [14], [16], [19J. [20]' etc.) The following theorem is an analogy G(v;F'] are connected. of Thwrcrn 1.3 which can be used for splitting a graph to meet certain By Lemma 2.2, neither el nor e2 is a bridge of Hj (j = 1,2) since both dcgn-,e requirement. G(v;FJ and G(v;l"'] are connected. By Lemma 2.1, 1I1 doC'." not have a pair of edge-disjoint paths joining v and v'. lienee, CI, C2 arc in two distinct Theorem 1.4 Let G be a connected and bridge-less graph and v be a vertex blocks, say [(I and [(2, of III. Since neither CI nor e2 is a bridge of HI, ofG and Fe F' c E(v) such that 1 ~ IFI and IFI + 2 = IF'I ~ d(v)-1. 1<1,1<2 are non-trivial bJocks. Let Ci be a circuit of [(i containing ei for Then there is a subset F* .meh that F C F* C F' (he7'e, IF'I = IFI + 1). and i = 1,2. In the graph }[2 = G(v;Fu{e.1J' the circuits C I ,C2 are broken G(v;FOI i.~ connected and bridge-less, unle.~s G(v;FJ or G(v;F'] is disconnected. into two edge-disjoint paths connecting v and v'. By Lemma 2.1, H2 is bridge-less. 0 Thcorcm 1.4 and ThcorcHl 1.:1 have the salllc property that the vertex Now, we are to deduce Theorem 1.3 from Theorem 1.'1. splitting operation prescrves thc embedding property of graphs. Proof of Thcorcm 1.3. It is obvious if v is not a cut-vertex of G. Assume that v is a cut-vertex of G. Let F = {eo} and F' = {co, el, e2}. If G(v;FI 2 Vertex splitting is disconnected then CO is a bridge of G. This contradicts that G is bridge A few lemmas are needed before the proof of Theorem 1.4. less. Now, by Theorem 1.4, we only need to show that G(v,F'1 is connected. Note that each non-trivial block of G contains at least two edges and G is Lemma 2.1 Let G be a b7idge-less graph and v be a vertex of G and F C bridge-less, for i = 0,2 let J; (Ii # cd be an edge of Ec(v) contained in the block of G cont.aining ei. Since eo, C2 are chosen from distinct blocks of E(v) .,ueh that 2 ~ IFI ~ d( v) - 2. Then G(v;FI i., bridge-less if and only G and I{eo, e2.!o, h}1 = 4 and lF'l = 3, EC1v:F'1 (v) contains at least one of 208 209 {fo,h} and hence, v',v are in the same component of Gjv;F'j.