The closed neighbourhood of a vertex in a graph is the vertex together with the set of adjacent vertices. A di®erentiating-dominating set, or identifying code, is a collection of vertices whose intersection with the closed neighbour- hoods of each vertex is distinct and nonempty. A di®erentiating-dominating set in a graph serves to uniquely identify all the vertices in the graph. Chapter 1 begins with the necessary de¯nitions and background results and provides motivation for the following chapters. Chapter 1 includes a summary of the lower identi¯cation parameters, °L and °d. Chapter 2 de- ¯nes co-distinguishable graphs and determines bounds on the number of edges in graphs which are distinguishable and co-distinguishable while Chap- ter 3 describes the maximum number of vertices needed in order to identify vertices in a graph, and includes some Nordhaus-Gaddum type results for the sum and product of the di®erentiating-domination number of a graph and its complement. Chapter 4 explores criticality, in which any minor modi¯cation in the edge or vertex set of a graph causes the di®erentiating-domination number to change. Chapter 5 extends the identi¯cation parameters to allow for orientations of the graphs in question and considers the question of when adding orientation helps reduce the value of the identi¯cation parameter. We conclude with a survey of complexity results in Chapter 6 and a collection of interesting new research directions in Chapter 7. / Mathematical Sciences / PhD (Mathematics)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The domination number of a graph is the cardinality of a smallest subset of its vertex set with the property that each vertex of the graph is in the subset or adjacent to a vertex in the subset. This graph parameter has been studied extensively since its introduction during the early 1960s and finds application in the generic setting where the vertices of the graph denote physical entities that are typically geographically dispersed and have to be monitored efficiently, while the graph edges model links between these entities which enable guards, stationed at the vertices, to monitor adjacent entities. In the above application, the guards remain stationary at the entities. In 2005, this constraint was, however, relaxed by the introduction of a new domination-related parameter, called the secure domination number. In this relaxed, dynamic setting, each unoccupied entity is defended by a guard stationed at an adjacent entity who can travel along an edge to the unoccupied entity in order to resolve a security threat that may occur there, after which the resulting configuration of guards at the entities is again required to be a dominating set of the graph. The secure domination number of a graph is the smallest number of guards that can be placed on its vertices so as to satisfy these requirements. In this generalised setting, the notion of edge removal is important, because one might seek the cost, in terms of the additional number of guards required, of protecting the complex of entities modelled by the graph if a number of edges in the graph were to fail (i.e. a number of links were to be eliminated form the complex, thereby disqualifying guards from moving along such disabled links). A comprehensive survey of the literature on secure graph domination is conducted in this dissertation. Descriptions of related, generalised graph protection parameters are also given. The classes of graphs with secure domination number 1, 2 or 3 are characterised and a result on the number of defenders in any minimum secure dominating set of a graph without end-vertices is presented, after which it is shown that the decision problem associated with computing the secure domination number of an arbitrary graph is NP-complete. Two exponential-time algorithms and a binary programming problem formulation are presented for computing the secure domination number of an arbitrary graph, while a linear algorithm is put forward for computing the secure domination number of an arbitrary tree. The practical efficiencies of these algorithms are compared in the context of small graphs. The smallest and largest increase in the secure domination number of a graph are also considered when a fixed number of edges are removed from the graph. Two novel cost functions are introduced for this purpose. General bounds on these two cost functions are established, and exact values of or tighter bounds on the cost functions are determined for various infinite classes of special graphs. Threshold information is finally established in respect of the number of possible edge removals from a graph before increasing its secure domination number. The notions of criticality and stability are introduced and studied in this respect, focussing on the smallest number of arbitrary edges whose deletion necessarily increases the secure domination number of the resulting graph, and the largest number of arbitrary edges whose deletion necessarily does not increase the secure domination number of the resulting graph. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dominasiegetal van ’n grafiek is die kardinaalgetal van ’n kleinste deelversameling van die grafiek se puntversameling met die eienskap dat elke punt van die grafiek in die deelversameling is of naasliggend is aan ’n punt in die deelversameling. Hierdie grafiekparameter is sedert die vroeë 1960s uitvoerig bestudeer en vind toepassing in die generiese situasie waar die punte van die grafiek fisiese entiteite voorstel wat tipies geografies verspreid is en doeltreffend gemonitor moet word, terwyl die lyne van die grafiek skakels tussen hierdie entiteite voorstel waarlangs wagte, wat by die entiteite gebaseer is, naasliggende entiteite kan monitor. In die bogenoemde toepassing, bly die wagte bewegingloos by die fisiese entiteite waar hulle geplaas word. In 2005 is hierdie beperking egter verslap met die daarstelling van ’n nuwe dominasie-verwante grafiekparameter, bekend as die sekure dominasiegetal. In hierdie verslapte, dinamiese situasie word elke punt sonder ’n wag deur ’n wag verdedig wat by ’n naasliggende punt geplaas is en wat langs die verbindingslyn na die leë punt kan beweeg om daar ’n bedreiging te neutraliseer, waarna die gevolglike plasing van wagte weer ’n dominasieversameling van die grafiek moet vorm. Die sekure dominasiegetal van ’n grafiek is die kleinste getal wagte wat op die punte van die grafiek geplaas kan word om aan hierdie vereistes te voldoen. Die beginsel van lynverwydering speel ’n belangrike rol in hierdie veralgemeende situasie, omdat daar gevra mag word na die koste, in terme van die addisionele getal wagte wat vereis word, om die kompleks van entiteite wat deur die grafiek gemodelleer word, te beveilig indien ’n aantal lynfalings in die grafiek plaasvind (m.a.w. indien ’n aantal skakels uit die kompleks van entiteite verwyder word, en wagte dus nie meer langs sulke skakels mag beweeg nie). ’n Omvattende literatuurstudie oor sekure dominasie van grafieke word in hierdie verhandeling gedoen. Beskrywings van verwante, veralgemeende verdedigingsparameters in grafiekteorie word ook gegee. Die klasse van grafieke met sekure dominasiegetal 1, 2 of 3 word gekarakteriseer en ’n resultaat oor die getal verdedigers in enige kleinste sekure dominasieversameling van ’n grafiek sonder endpunte word daargestel, waarna daar getoon word dat die beslissingsprobleem onderliggend aan die berekening van die sekure dominasiegetal van ’n arbitrêre grafiek NP- volledig is. Twee eksponensiële-tyd algoritmes en ’n binêre programmeringsformulering word vir die bepaling van die sekure dominasiegetal van ’n arbitrêre grafiek daargestel, terwyl ’n lineêre algoritme vir die berekening van die sekure dominasiegetal van ’n arbitrêre boom ontwerp word. Die praktiese doeltreffendhede van hierdie algoritmes word vir klein grafieke met mekaar vergelyk. Die kleinste en groostste toename in die sekure dominasiegetal van ’n grafiek word ook oorweeg wanneer ’n vaste getal lyne uit die grafiek verwyder word. Twee nuwe kostefunksies word vir hierdie doel daargestel en algemene grense word op hierdie kostefunksies vir arbitrêre grafieke bepaal, terwyl eksakte waardes van of verbeterde grense op hierdie kostefunksies vir verskeie oneindige klasse van spesiale grafieke bereken word. Drempelinligting word uiteindelik bepaal in terme van die moontlike getal lynverwyderings uit ’n grafiek voordat die sekure dominasiegetal daarvan toeneem. Die konsepte van kritiekheid en stabiliteit word in hierdie konteks bestudeer, met ’n fokus op die kleinste getal arbitrêre lynfalings wat noodwendig die sekure dominasiegetal van die gevolglike grafiek laat toeneem, of die grootste getal arbitrêre lynfalings wat noodwendig die sekure dominasiegetal van die gevolglike grafiek onveranderd laat.

In this thesis we study the isoperimetric problem on trees and graphs with bounded treewidth. Let G = (V,E) be a finite, simple and undirected graph. For let δ(S,G)= {(u,v) ε E : u ε S and v ε V – S }be the edge boundary of S. Given an integer i, 1 ≤ i ≤ | V| , let the edge isoperimetric value of G at I be defined as be(i,G)= mins v;|s|= i | δ(S,G)|. For S V, let φ(S,G) = {u ε V – S : ,such that be the vertex boundary of S. Given an integer i, 1 ≤ i ≤ | V| , let the vertex isoperimetric value of G at I be defined as bv(i,G)= The edge isoperimetric peak of G is defined as be(G) =. Similarly the vertex isoperimetric peak of G is defined as bv(G)= .The problem of determining a lower bound for the vertex isoperimetric peak in complete k-ary trees of depth d,Tdkwas recently considered in[32]. In the first part of this thesis we provide lower bounds for the edge and vertex isoperimetric peaks in complete k-ary trees which improve those in[32]. Our results are then generalized to arbitrary (rooted)trees. Let i be an integer where . For each i define the connected edge isoperimetric value and the connected vertex isoperimetric value of G at i as follows: is connected and is connected A meta-Fibonacci sequence is given by the reccurence a(n)= a(x1(n)+ a1′(n-1))+ a(x2(n)+ a2′(n -2)), where xi: Z+ → Z+ , i =1,2, is a linear function of n and ai′(j)= a(j) or ai′(j)= -a(j), for i=1,2. Sequences belonging to this class have been well studied but in general their properties remain intriguing. In the second part of the thesis we show an interesting connection between the problem of determining and certain meta-Fibonacci sequences. In the third part of the thesis we study the problem of determining be and bv algorithmically for certain special classes of graphs. Definition 0.1. A tree decomposition of a graph G = (V,E) is a pair where I is an index set, is a collection of subsets of V and T is a tree whose node set is I such that the following conditions are satisfied: (For mathematical equations pl see the pdf file)

The problem of defining cycles in infinite graphs has received much attention in the literature. Diestel and Kuhn have proposed viewing a graph as 1-complex, and defining a topology on the point set of the graph together with its ends. In this setting, a circle in the graph is a homeomorph of the unit circle S^1 in this topological space. For locally finite graphs this setting appears to be natural, as many classical theorems on cycles in finite graphs extend to the infinite setting. A Hamilton circle in a graph is a circle containing all the vertices of the graph. We exhibit a necessary and sufficient condition that a countable graph contain a Hamilton circle in terms of the existence of Hamilton cycles in an increasing sequence of finite graphs. As corollaries, we obtain extensions to locally finite graphs of Zhan's theorem that all 7-connected line graphs are hamiltonian (confirming a conjecture of Georgakopoulos), and Ryjacek's theorem that all 7-connected claw-free graphs are hamiltonian. A third corollary of our main result is Georgakopoulos' theorem that the square of every two-connected locally finite graph contains a Hamilton circle (an extension of Fleischner's theorem that the square of every two-connected finite graph is Hamiltonian).

The tree-width and branch-width of a graph are two well-studied examples of parameters that measure how well a given graph can be decomposed into a tree structure. In this thesis we give several results and applications concerning these concepts, in particular if the graph is embedded on a surface. In the first part of this thesis we develop a geometric description of tangles in graphs embedded on a fixed surface (tangles are the obstructions for low branch-width), generalizing a result of Robertson and Seymour. We use this result to establish a relationship between the branch-width of an embedded graph and the carving-width of an associated graph, generalizing a result for the plane of Seymour and Thomas. We also discuss how these results relate to the polynomial-time algorithm to determine the branch-width of planar graphs of Seymour and Thomas, and explain why their method does not generalize to surfaces other than the sphere. We also prove a result concerning the class C_2k of minor-minimal graphs of branch-width 2k in the plane, for an integer k at least 2. We show that applying a certain construction to a class of graphs in the projective plane yields a subclass of C_2k, but also show that not all members of C_2k arise in this way if k is at least 3. The last part of the thesis is concerned with applications of graphs of bounded tree-width to the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). We first show how one can solve the separation problem for comb inequalities (with an arbitrary number of teeth) in linear time if the tree-width is bounded. In the second part, we modify an algorithm of Letchford et al. using tree-decompositions to obtain a practical method for separating a different class of TSP inequalities, called simple DP constraints, and study their effectiveness for solving TSP instances.

Cette thèse traite de la coloration de graphe, de la coloration par liste,d'ensembles indépendants de poids maximum et de la théorie structurelle des graphes.Dans un premier temps, nous fournissons un algorithme s'exécutant en temps polynomial pour le problème de la 4-coloration dans des sous-classes de graphe sans $P_6$. Ces algorithmes se basent sur une compréhension précise de la structure de ces classes de graphes, pour laquelle nous donnons une description complète.Deuxièmement, nous étudions une conjecture portant sur la coloration par liste et prouvons que pour tout graphe parfait sans griffe dont la taille de la plus grande clique est bornée par 4, le nombre chromatique est égal au nombre chromatique par liste. Ce résultat est obtenu en utilisant un théorème de décomposition des graphes parfaits sans griffe, une description structurelle des graphes de base de cette décomposition et le célèbre théorème de Galvin.Ensuite, en utilisant la description structurelle élaborée dans le premier chapitre et en renforçant certains aspects de celle-ci, nous fournissons un algorithme s'exécutant en temps polynomial pour le problème d'indépendant de poids maximum dans des sous-classes de graphe sans $P_6$ et sans $P_7$. Dans le dernier chapitre de ce manuscrit, nous infirmons une conjecture datant de 1999 de De Simone et K"orner sur les graphes normaux. Notre preuve est probabiliste et est obtenue en utilisant les graphes aléatoires. / This thesis deals with graph coloring, list-coloring, maximum weightstable set (shortened as MWSS) and structural graph theory.First, we provide polynomial-time algorithms for the 4-coloring problem insubclasses of $P_6$-free graphs. These algorithms rely on a preciseunderstanding of the structure of these classes of graphs for which we give afull description.Secondly, we study the list-coloring conjecture and prove that for anyclaw-free perfect graph with clique number bounded by 4, the chromatic numberand the choice number are equal. This result is obtained by using adecomposition theorem for claw-free perfect graphs, a structural description ofthe basic graphs of this decomposition and by using Galvin's famous theorem.Next by using the structural description given in the first chapter andstrengthening other aspects of this structure, we provide polynomial-timealgorithms for the MWSS problem in subclasses of $P_6$-free and $P_7$-freegraphs.In the last chapter of the manuscript, we disprove a conjecture of De Simoneand K"orner made in 1999 related to normal graphs. Our proof is probabilisticand is obtained by the use of random graphs.

We say a graph is locally P if the induced graph on the neighbourhood of every vertex has the property P. Specically, a graph is locally traceable (LT) or locally hamiltonian (LH) if the induced graph on the neighbourhood of every vertex is traceable or hamiltonian, respectively. A locally locally hamiltonian (L2H) graph is a graph in which the graph induced by the neighbourhood of each vertex is an LH graph. This concept is generalized to an arbitrary degree of nesting, to make it possible to work with LkH graphs. This thesis focuses on the global cycle properties of LT, LH and LkH graphs. Methods are developed to construct and combine such graphs to create others with desired properties. It is shown that with the exception of three graphs, LT graphs with maximum degree no greater than 5 are fully cycle extendable (and hence hamiltonian), but the Hamilton cycle problem for LT graphs with maximum degree 6 is NP-complete. Furthermore, the smallest nontraceable LT graph has order 10, and the smallest value of the maximum degree for which LT graphs can be nontraceable is 6. It is also shown that LH graphs with maximum degree 6 are fully cycle extendable, and that there exist nonhamiltonian LH graphs with maximum degree 9 or less for all orders greater than 10. The Hamilton cycle problem is shown to be NP-complete for LH graphs with maximum degree 9. The construction of r-regular nonhamiltonian graphs is demonstrated, and it is shown that the number of vertices in a longest path in an LH graph can contain a vanishing fraction of the vertices of the graph. NP-completeness of the Hamilton cycle problem for LkH graphs for higher values of k is also investigated. / Mathematical Sciences / D. Phil. (Mathematics)

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions les aspects structurels et algorithmiques de différents problèmes de théorie des graphes. Rappelons qu’un graphe est un ensemble de sommets éventuellement reliés par des arêtes. Deux sommets sont adjacents s’ils sont reliés par une arête.<p>Tout d’abord, nous considérons les deux problèmes suivants :le problème de vertex cover et celui de dominating set, deux cas particuliers du problème de hitting set. Un vertex cover est un ensemble de sommets qui rencontrent toutes les arêtes alors qu’un dominating set est un ensemble X de sommets tel que chaque sommet n’appartenant pas à X est adjacent à un sommet de X. La version connexe de ces problèmes demande que les sommets choisis forment un sous-graphe connexe. Pour les deux problèmes précédents, nous examinons le prix de la connexité, défini comme étant le rapport entre la taille minimum d’un ensemble répondant à la version connexe du problème et celle d’un ensemble du problème originel. Nous prouvons la difficulté du calcul du prix de la connexité d’un graphe. Cependant, lorsqu’on exige que le prix de la connexité d’un graphe ainsi que de tous ses sous-graphes induits soit borné par une constante fixée, la situation change complètement. En effet, pour les problèmes de vertex cover et de dominating set, nous avons pu caractériser ces classes de graphes pour de petites constantes.<p>Ensuite, nous caractérisons en termes de dominating sets connexes les graphes Pk- free, graphes n’ayant pas de sous-graphes induits isomorphes à un chemin sur k sommets. Beaucoup de problèmes sur les graphes sont étudiés lorsqu’ils sont restreints à cette classe de graphes. De plus, nous appliquons cette caractérisation à la 2-coloration dans les hypergraphes. Pour certains hypergraphes, nous prouvons que ce problème peut être résolu en temps polynomial.<p>Finalement, nous travaillons sur le problème de Pk-hitting set. Un Pk-hitting set est un ensemble de sommets qui rencontrent tous les chemins sur k sommets. Nous développons un algorithme d’approximation avec un facteur de performance de 3. Notre algorithme, basé sur la méthode primal-dual, fournit un Pk-hitting set dont la taille est au plus 3 fois la taille minimum d’un Pk-hitting set. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

A proper edge coloring of G =(V,E)is a map c : E → C (where C is the set of available colors ) with c(e) ≠ c(ƒ) for any adjacent edges e,f. The minimum number of colors needed to properly color the edges of G, is called the chromatic index of Gand is denoted by χ(G). A proper edge coloring c is called acyclic if there are no bichromatic cycles in the graph. In other words an edge coloring is acyclic if the union of any two color classes induces a set of paths (i.e., linear forest) in G. The acyclic edge chromatic number (also called acyclic chromatic index), denoted by a’(G), is the minimum number of colors required to acyclically edge color G. The primary motivation for this thesis is the following conjecture by Alon, Sudakov and Zaks [7] (and independently by Fiamcik [22]): Acyclic Edge Coloring Conjecture: For any graph G, a’ (G) ≤ Δ(G)+2. The following are the main results of the thesis: 1 From a result of Burnstein [16], it follows that any subcubic graph can be acyclically edge colored using at most 5 colors. Skulrattankulchai [38] gave a polynomial time algorithm to color a subcubic graph using Δ + 2 = 5 colors. We proved that any non-regular subcubic graph can be acyclically colored using only 4 colors. This result is tight. This also implies that the fifth color, when needed is required only for one edge. 2 Let G be a connected graph on n vertices, m ≤ 2n - 1 edges and maximum degree Δ ≤ 4, then a’ (G) ≤ 6. This implies that graph of maximum degree 4 are acyclically edge colorable using at most 7 colors. 3 The earliest result on acyclic edge coloring of 2-degenerate graphs was by Caro and Roditty [17], where they proved that a’ (G) ≤ Δ + k - 1, where k is the maximum edge connectivity, defined as k = maxu,vε V(G)λ(u,v), where λ(u,v)is the edge-connectivity of the pair u,v. Note that here k can be as high as Δ. Muthu,Narayanan and Subramanian [34] proved that a’ (G) ≤ Δ + 1for outerplanar graphs which are a subclass of 2-degenerate graphs and posed the problem of proving the conjecture for 2-degenerate graphs as an open problem. In fact they have also derived an upper bound of Δ+1 for series-parallel graphs [35], which is a slightly bigger subclass of 2-degenerate graphs. We proved that 2-degenerate graphs are Δ+1colorable. 1 Fiedorowicz, Hauszczak and Narayanan [24] gave an upper bound of 2Δ+29 for planar graphs. Independently Hou, Wu, GuiZhen Liu and Bin Liu [29] gave an upper bound of max(2Δ - 2,Δ+ 22). We improve this upper bound to Δ+12, which is the best known bound at present. 2 Fiedorowicz, Hauszczak and Narayanan [24] gave an upper bound of Δ+6for triangle free planar graphs. We improve the bound to Δ+3, which is the best known bound at present. 3 We have also worked on lower bounds. Alon et.al. [7], along with the acyclic edge coloring conjecture, also made an auxiliary conjecture stating that Complete graphs of 2n vertices are the only class of regular graphs which require Δ+2colors. We disproved this conjecture by showing infinite classes of regular graphs other than Complete Graphs which require Δ+2colors. Apart from the above mentioned results, this thesis also contributes to the acyclic edge coloring literature by introducing new techniques like Recoloring, Color Exchange (exchanging colors of adjacent edges), circular shifting of colors on adjacent edges (derangement of colors). These techniques turn out to be very useful in proving upper bounds on the acyclic edge chromatic number.

This paper was written as a bachelor thesis in mathematics. We study adjacency matrices and their eigenvalues to investigate what properties of the corresponding graphs can be determined by those eigenvalues, the spectrum of the graph. The question of which graphs are uniquely determined by their spectra is also covered. Later on we study some methods of finding examples of graphs with shared spectra, also referred to as cospectral graphs.