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.

Guohui Hao1, Qingde Kang1
1Institute of Math., Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang 050016, P.R. China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a finite graph and \(H\) be a subgraph of \(G\). If \(V(H) = V(G)\), then the subgraph \(H\) is called a \({spanning \;subgraph}\) of \(G\). A spanning subgraph \(H\) of \(G\) is called an \({F-factor}\) if each component of \(H\) is isomorphic to \(F\). Further, if there exists a subgraph of \(G\) whose vertex set is \(\lambda V(G)\) and can be partitioned into \(F\)-factors, then it is called a \({\lambda-fold \;F-factor}\) of \(G\), denoted by \(S_\lambda(1,F,G)\). A \({large \; set}\) of \(\lambda\)-fold \(F\)-factors in \(G\) is a partition \(\{\mathcal{B}_i\}_{i}\) of all subgraphs of \(G\) isomorphic to \(F\), such that each \((X, \mathcal{B}_i)\) forms a \(\lambda\)-fold \(F\)-factor of \(G\). In this paper, we investigate the large set of \(\lambda\)-fold \(P_3\)-factors in \(K_{v,v}\) and obtain its existence spectrum.

Kotaro Hayashi1
1Honda R&D Co.,Ltd. Motorcycle R&D Center 3-15-1 Senzui, Asaka-shi, Saitama, 351-8555 Japan
Abstract:

Let \(k \geq 1\), \(l \geq 3\), and \(s \geq 5\) be integers. In \(1990\), Erdős and Faudree conjectured that if \(G\) is a graph of order \(4k\) with \(\delta(G) \geq 2k\), then \(G\) contains \(k\) vertex-disjoint \(4\)-cycles. In this paper, we consider an analogous question for \(5\)-cycles; that is to say, if \(G\) is a graph of order \(5k\) with \(\delta(G) \geq 3k\), then \(G\) contains \(k\) vertex-disjoint \(5\)-cycles? In support of this question, we prove that if \(G\) is a graph of order \(5k\) with \(\omega_2(G) \geq 6l – 2\), then, unless \(\overline{K_{l-2}} + K_{2l+1,2l+1} \subseteq G \subseteq K_{l-2} + K_{2l+1,2l+1}\), \(G\) contains \(l – 1\) vertex-disjoint \(5\)-cycles and a path of order \(5\), which is vertex-disjoint from the \(l – 1\) \(5\)-cycles. In fact, we prove a more general result that if \(G\) is a graph of order \(5k + 2s\) with \(\omega_2(G) \geq 6k + 2s\), then, unless \(\overline{K_{k}} + K_{2k+s,2k+s} \subseteq G \subseteq K_{k} + K_{2k+s,2k+s}\), \(G\) contains \(k+1\) vertex-disjoint \(5\)-cycles and a path of order \(2s – 5\), which is vertex-disjoint from the \(k + 1\) \(5\)-cycles. As an application of this theorem, we give a short proof for determining the exact value of \(\text{ex}(n,(k + 1)C_5)\), and characterize the extremal graph.

Saadet Arslan 1, Fikri Koken2
1SeLcuk University, Facutry or EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, 42090 MERAM, KONYA, TURKEY
2Setcuk UNtversiry, FACULTY oF Science, DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, 42075 KaMmPus, Konya, TURKEY
Abstract:

In this paper, we present the complex factorizations of the Jacobsthal and Jacobsthal Lucas numbers by determinants of tridiagonal matrices.

E. Kilic1, D. Tasci2
1TOBB ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT 06560 ANKARA TURKEY
2Gazi University, DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, 06500 ANKARA TURKEY
Abstract:

In this paper, we find families of \((0, -1, 1)\)-tridiagonal matrices whose determinants and permanents equal the negatively subscripted Fibonacci and Lucas numbers. Also, we give complex factorizations of these numbers by the first and second kinds of Chebyshev polynomials.

Bart De Bruyn1
1 Ghent University, Department of Pure Mathematics and Computer Algebra, Galglaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium,
Abstract:

We classify all finite near hexagons which satisfy the following properties for a certain \(t_2 \in \{1,2,4\}\):(i) every line is incident with precisely three points;(ii) for every point \(x\), there exists a point \(y\) at distance \(3\) from \(x\);(iii) every two points at distance \(2\) from each other have either \(1\) or \(t_2 + 1\) common neighbours;(iv) every quad is big. As a corollary, we obtain a classification of all finite near hexagons satisfying (i), (ii) and (iii) with \(t_2\) equal to \(4\).

Lihua Feng1
1School of Mathematics, Shandong Institute of Business and Technology 191 Binhaizhong Road, Yantai, Shandong, P.R. China, 264005.
Abstract:

In this paper, we obtain the largest Laplacian spectral radius for bipartite graphs with given matching number and use them to characterize the extremal general graphs.

Bing Yao1, Ming Yao2, Hui Cheng1
1College of Mathematics and Information Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, P.R.China
2Department of Information Process and Control Engineering, Lanzhou Petrochemical College of Vocational Technology, Lanzhou, 730060, P.R.China
Abstract:

For integers \(k, \theta \leq 3\) and \(\beta \geq 1\), an integer \(k\)-set \(S\) with the smallest element \(0\) is a \((k; \beta, \theta)\)-free set if it does not contain distinct elements \(a_{i,j}\) (\(1 \leq i \leq j \leq \theta\)) such that \(\sum_{j=1}^{\theta -1}a_{i ,j} = \beta a_{i_\theta}\). The largest integer of \(S\) is denoted by \(\max(S)\). The generalized antiaverage number \(\lambda(k; \beta, \theta)\) is equal to \(\min\{\max(S) : S \text{ is a } (k^0; \delta, 0)\text{-free set}\}\). We obtain:(1) If \(\beta \notin \{\theta-2, \theta-1, \theta\}\), then \(\lambda(m; \beta, \theta) \leq (\theta-1)(m-2) + 1\); (2) If \(\beta \geq {\theta-1}\), then \(\lambda(k; \beta, \theta) \leq \min\limits_{k=m+n}\{\lambda(m;\beta,\theta)+\beta \lambda (n;\beta,\theta)+1\}\), where \(k =m+n \) with \(n>m\geq 3\) and \(\lambda(2n;\beta,\theta)\leq \lambda(n;\beta,\theta)(\beta+1)+\varepsilon\), for \(\varepsilon=1\) for \(\theta=3\) and \(\varepsilon=0\) otherwise.

Kathleen A.McKeon1
1Connecticut College
Abstract:

A connected graph is highly irregular if the neighbors of each vertex have distinct degrees. We will show that every highly irregular tree has at most one nontrivial automorphism. The question that motivated this work concerns the proportion of highly irregular trees that are asymmetric, i.e., have no nontrivial automorphisms. A \(d\)-tree is a tree in which every vertex has degree at most \(d\). A technique for enumerating unlabeled highly irregular \(d\)-trees by automorphism group will be described for \(d \geq 4\) and results will be given for \(d = 4\). It will be shown that, for fixed \(d\), \(d \geq 4\), almost all highly irregular \(d\)-trees are asymmetric.

Duanfeng Liu1,2, Xinru Liu1
1Department of Mathematics Science and Computer Technology,Central South University, Changsha 410083,P.R.China
2Department of Applied Mathematics,Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006,P.R.China
Abstract:

Combining with specific degrees or edges of a graph, this paper provides some new classes of upper embeddable graphs and extends the results in [Y. Huang, Y. Liu, Some classes of upper embeddable graphs, Acta Mathematica Scientia, \(1997, 17\)(Supp.): \(154-161\)].

Ligong Wang1, Xiaodong Liu2
1Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, P.R.China
2School of Information, Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R.China
Abstract:

A graph is called integral if all eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix are integers. In this paper, we investigate integral trees \(S(r;m_i) = S(a_1+a_2+\cdots+a_s;m_1,m_2,\ldots,m_s)\) of diameter \(4\) with \(s = 2,3\). We give a better sufficient and necessary condition for the tree \(S(a_1+a_2;m_1,m_2)\) of diameter \(4\) to be integral, from which we construct infinitely many new classes of such integral trees by solving some certain Diophantine equations. These results are different from those in the existing literature. We also construct new integral trees \(S(a_1+a_2+a_3;m_1,m_2,m_3) = S(a_1+1+1;m_1,m_2,m_3)\) of diameter \(4\) with non-square numbers \(m_2\) and \(m_3\). These results generalize some well-known results of P.Z. Yuan, D.L. Zhang \(et\) \(al\).