Ars Combinatoria

ISSN 0381-7032 (print), 2817-5204 (online)

Ars Combinatoria is the oldest Canadian journal of combinatorics, established in 1976, dedicated to advancing combinatorial mathematics through the publication of high-quality, peer-reviewed research papers. Over the decades, it has built a strong international reputation and continues to serve as a leading platform for significant contributions to the field.
Open Access:  The journal follows the Diamond Open Access model—completely free for both authors and readers, with no article processing charges (APCs)
Publication Frequency: From 2024 onward, Ars Combinatoria publishes four issues annually—in March, June, September, and December.
Scope: Publishes research in all areas of combinatorics, including graph theory, design theory, enumeration, algebraic combinatorics, combinatorial optimization and related fields.
Indexing & Abstracting:  Indexed in MathSciNet, Zentralblatt MATH, and EBSCO, ensuring wide visibility and scholarly reach.
Rapid Publication: Submissions are processed efficiently, with accepted papers published promptly in the next available issue.
Print & Online Editions: Issues are available in both print and online formats to serve a broad readership.

Ali Ahmad1
1College of Computer Science & Information Technology, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:

Let us consider a~simple connected undirected graph \(G=(V,E)\). For a~graph \(G\) we define a~\(k\)-labeling \(\phi: V(G)\to \{1,2, \dots, k\}\) to be a~distance irregular vertex \(k\)-labeling of the graph \(G\) if for every two different vertices \(u\) and \(v\) of \(G\), one has \(wt(u) \ne wt(v),\) where the weight of a~vertex \(u\) in the labeling \(\phi\) is \(wt(u)=\sum\limits_{v\in N(u)}\phi(v),\) where \(N(u)\) is the set of neighbors of \(u\). The minimum \(k\) for which the graph \(G\) has a~distance irregular vertex \(k\)-labeling is known as distance irregularity strength of \(G,\) it is denoted as \(dis(G)\). In this paper, we determine the exact value of the distance irregularity strength of corona product of cycle and path with complete graph of order \(1,\) friendship graph, Jahangir graph and helm graph. For future research, we suggest some open problems for researchers of the same domain of study.

Muhammad Junaid Ali Junjua1, Khurram Shabbir1, Asim Naseem1
1Govt. College University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Abstract:

Elimination ideals are monomial ideals associated to simple graphs, not necessarily square–free, was introduced by Anwar and Khalid. These ideals are Borel type. In this paper, we obtain sharp combinatorial upper bounds of the Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity of elimination ideals corresponding to certain family of graphs.

Asim Naseem1, Khurram Shabbir1, M. Ramzan1
1Govt. College University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a simple connected graph with vertex set \(V\) and diameter \(d\). An injective function \(c: V\rightarrow \{1,2,3,\ldots\}\) is called a radio labeling of \(G\) if \({|c(x) c(y)|+d(x,y)\geq d+1}\) for all distinct \(x,y\in V\), where \(d(x,y)\) is the distance between vertices \(x\) and \(y\). The largest number in the range of \(c\) is called the span of the labeling \(c\). The radio number of \(G\) is the minimum span taken over all radio labelings of \(G\). For a fixed vertex \(z\) of \(G\), the sequence \((l_1,l_2,\ldots,l_r)\) is called the level tuple of \(G\), where \(l_i\) is the number of vertices whose distance from \(z\) is \(i\). Let\(J^k(l_1,l_2,\ldots,l_r)\) be the wedge sum (i.e. one vertex union) of \(k\geq2\) graphs having same level tuple \((l_1,l_2,\ldots,l_r)\). Let \(J(\frac{l_1}{l’_1},\frac{l_2}{l’_2},\ldots,\frac{l_r} {l’_r})\) be the wedge sum of two graphs of same order, having level tuples  \((l_1,l_2,\ldots,l_r)\) and \((l’_1,l’_2,\ldots,l’_r)\). In this paper, we compute the radio number for some sub-families of \(J^k(l_1,l_2,\ldots,l_r)\) and \(J(\frac{l_1}{l’_1},\frac{l_2}{l’_2},\ldots,\frac{l_r}{l’_r})\).

S. Gomathi1, P. Venugopal1, T. Arputha Jose1
1Department of Mathematics, SSN College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, India.
Abstract:

An antipodal labeling is a function \(f\ \)from the vertices of \(G\) to the set of natural numbers such that it satisfies the condition \(d(u,v) + \left| f(u) – f(v) \right| \geq d\), where d is the diameter of \(G\ \)and \(d(u,v)\) is the shortest distance between every pair of distinct vertices  \(u\) and \(v\) of \(G.\) The span of an antipodal labeling \(f\ \)is \(sp(f) = \max\{|f(u) – \ f\ (v)|:u,\ v\, \in \, V(G)\}.\) The antipodal number of~G, denoted by~an(G), is the minimum span of all antipodal labeling of~G. In this paper, we determine the antipodal number of Mongolian tent and Torus grid.

Yaping Mao1, Chengfu Ye1, Hengzhe Li2, Shumin Zhang1
1 Department of Mathematics, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, Qinghai 810008, P.R. China
2College of Mathematics and Information Science. Henan Normal University, Xingxiang 453007 China
Abstract:

Two graphs are defined to be adjointly equivalent if their complements are chromatically equivalent. Recently, we introduced a new invariant of a graph \(G\), denoted as \(R_5(G)\). Using this invariant and the properties of the adjoint polynomials, we completely determine the adjoint equivalence class of \(\psi_n^3({n-3,1})\). According to the relations between adjoint polynomial and chromatic polynomial, we also simultaneously determine the chromatic equivalence class of \(\psi_n^3({n-3,1})\).

Kiirgat Aker1, Aysin Erkan Giirsoy2
1 Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus 99798 Kaltkank, Gizelyurt, Mersin 10, Turkey
2Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Sciences and Letters, Department of Mathematics, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract:

In this article, we prove a conjecture about the equality of two generating functions described in “From Parking Functions to Gelfand Pairs” (Aker, Can, 2012) attached to two sets whose cardinalities are given by Catalan numbers. We establish a combinatorial bijection between the two sets on which the two generating functions were based.

Li-Meng Xia1, Yuanlin Li2, Jiangtao Peng3
1Faculty Of Science, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu Pro., P.R. China
2Department of Mathematics, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Canada L2S 3A1
3College of Science, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin, 300300, P.R. China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a finite cyclic group. Every sequence \(S\) of length \(l\) over \(G\) can be written in the form \(S = (x_1g) + \cdots + (x_lg)\), where \(g \in G\) and \(x_1, \ldots, x_l \in [1, ord(g)]\), and the index \(ind(S)\) of \(S\) is defined to be the minimum of \((x_1 + \cdots + x_l)/ord(g)\) over all possible \(g \in G\) such that \(\langle g \rangle = G\). Recently, the second and third authors determined the index of any minimal zero-sum sequence \(S\) of length \(5\) over a cyclic group of a prime order where \(S =g^2 \cdot (x_2g)\cdot (x_3g)\cdot (x_4g)\). In this paper, we determine the index of any minimal zero-sum sequence \(S\) of length \(5\) over a cyclic group of a prime power order. It is shown that if \(G = \langle g \rangle\) is a cyclic group of prime power order \(n = p^{\mu}\) with \(p \geq 7\) and \(\mu \geq 2\), and \(S = (x_1g) \cdot (x_2g) \cdot (x_3g) \cdot (x_4g) \cdot (x_5g)\) with \(x_1 = x_2\) is a minimal zero-sum sequence with \(\gcd(n, x_1, x_2, x_3, x_4, x_5) = 1\), then \(ind(S) = 2\) if and only if \(S = (mg) \cdot (mg) \cdot (m\frac{n-1}{2}g) \cdot (m\frac{n+3}{2}g) \cdot (m(n-3)g)\) where \(m\) is a positive integer such that \(\gcd(m,n) = 1\).

Lutz Volkmann1
1 Lehrstuhl II fiir Mathematik RWTH Aachen University 52056 Aachen, Germany
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a graph with vertex set \(V(G)\). For any integer \(k \geq 1\), a signed \(k\)-dominating function is a function \(f: V(G) \rightarrow \{-1, 1\}\) satisfying \(\sum_{x \in N[v]} f(t) \geq k\) for every \(v \in V(G)\), where \(N[v]\) is the closed neighborhood of \(v\). The minimum of the values \(\sum_{v \in V(G)} f(v)\), taken over all signed \(k\)-dominating functions \(f\), is called the signed \(k\)-domination number. In this note, we present some new lower bounds on the signed \(k\)-domination number of a graph. Some of our results improve known bounds.

Esref Gurel1, Mustafa Asci2
1Pamukkale University Science and Arts Faculty Department of Mathematics Kinikli Denizlt Turkey
2Pamukkale University Science and Arts Faculty Department of Mathematics Kinikul Denizl1 Turkey
Abstract:

In this paper, we define and study the \(k\)-order Gaussian Fibonacci and Lucas numbers with boundary conditions. We identify and prove the generating functions, the Binet formulas, the summation formulas, matrix representation of \(k\)-order Gaussian Fibonacci numbers, and some significant relationships between \(k\)-order Gaussian Fibonacci and \(k\)-order Lucas numbers, connecting them with usual \(k\)-order Fibonacci numbers.

Zai Ping Lu1, Ying Bin Ma2
1Center For Combinatorics, Lpmc-Tjklc, Nankai University, Tian- Un 300071, P. R. China
2Center For Combinatorics, Lpmc-Tjklc, Nankai University, Tianhn 300071, P. R. China
Abstract:

A vertex-colored path is vertex-rainbow if its internal vertices have distinct colors. For a connected graph \(G\) with connectivity \(\kappa(G)\) and an integer \(k\) with \(1 \leq k \leq \kappa(G)\), the rainbow vertex \(k\)-connectivity of \(G\) is the minimum number of colors required to color the vertices of \(G\) such that any two vertices of \(G\) are connected by \(k\) internally vertex-disjoint vertex-rainbow paths. In this paper, we determine the rainbow vertex \(k\)-connectivities of all small cubic graphs of order \(8\) or less.