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.

M.H. Dinitz1, J.M. Gold1, T.C. Sharkey1, L. Traldi1
1Department of Mathematics, Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania 18042
Abstract:

We discuss the use of \(K\)-terminal networks to represent arbitrary clutters. A given clutter has many different representations, and there does not seem to be any set of simple transformations that can be used to transform one representation of a clutter into any other. We observe that for \(t \geq 2\) the class of clutters that can be represented using no more than \(t\) terminals is closed under minors, and has infinitely many forbidden minors.

Shi-Mei Ma1
1Department of Applied Mathematics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, P.R. China
Abstract:

Brenti (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A \(91 (2000))\) considered a \(q\)-analogue of the Eulerian polynomials by enumerating permutations in the symmetric group \(S_n\) with respect to the numbers of excedances and cycles. Here we establish a connection between these \(q\)-Eulerian polynomials and some infinite generating functions.

Chunhui Lai1, Lili Hu1
1Department of Mathematics, Zhangzhou Teachers College, Zhangzhou, Fujian 363000, P. R. of CHINA.
Abstract:

Let \(K_k, C_k, T_k\), and \(P_k\) denote a complete graph on \(k\) vertices, a cycle on \(k\) vertices, a tree on \(k+1\) vertices, and a path on \(k+1\) vertices, respectively. Let \(K_m-H\) be the graph obtained from \(K_m\) by removing the edges set \(E(H)\) of the graph \(H\) (\(H\) is a subgraph of \(K_m\)). A sequence \(S\) is potentially \(K_m-H\)-graphical if it has a realization containing a \(K_m-H\) as a subgraph. Let \(\sigma(K_m-H,n)\) denote the smallest degree sum such that every \(n\)-term graphical sequence \(S\) with \(\sigma(S) \geq \sigma(K_m-H,n)\) is potentially \(K_m-H\)-graphical. In this paper, we determine the values of \(\sigma(K_{r+1}-H,n)\) for \(n \geq 4r+10, r \geq 3, r+1 \geq k \geq 4\) where \(H\) is a graph on \(k\) vertices which contains a tree on \(4\) vertices but not contains a cycle on \(3\) vertices. We also determine the values of \(\sigma(K_{r+1}-P_{2},n)\) for \(n \geq 4r+8, r \geq 3\).

S.M. Anvariyeh1, S. Mirvakili2, B. Davvaz1
1Department of Mathematics, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
2Department of Mathematics, Payame Noor University, Yazd, Iran
Abstract:

In this paper, the class of \((m,n)\)-ary hypermodules is introduced and several properties and examples are found. \((m,n)\)-ary hypermodules are a generalization of hypermodules. On the other hand, we can consider \((m,n)\)-ary hypermodules as a good generalization of \((m,n)\)-ary modules. We define the fundamental relation \(\epsilon^*\) on the \((m,n)\)-ary hypermodules \(M\) as the smallest equivalence relation such that \(M/\epsilon^*\) is an \((m,n)\)-ary module, and then some related properties are investigated.

Zehui Shao1, Xiaodong Xu2, Qiquan Bao3
1School of Information Science & Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
2Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007,China
3Department of Control Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Abstract:

For given graphs \(G_1\) and \(G_2\), the Ramsey number \(R(G_1, G_2)\) is defined to be the least positive integer \(n\) such that every graph \(G\) on \(n\) vertices, either \(G\) contains a copy of \(G_1\) or the complement of \(G\) contains a copy of \(G_2\). In this note, we show that \(R(C_m, B_n) = 2m-1\) for \(m \geq 2n-1 \geq 7\). With the help of computers, we obtain the exact values of \(14\) small cycle-book Ramsey numbers.

Song Guo1
1School of Mathematical Science, Huaiyin Normal University Huaian 223300, People’s Republic of China
Abstract:

For positive integers \(c \geq 0\) and \(k \geq 1\), let \(n = R(c, k)\) be the least integer, provided it exists, such that every \(2\)-coloring of the set \([1,n] = \{1,\ldots,n\}\) admits a monochromatic solution to the equation \(x + y+c = 4z\) with \(x, y, z \in [1,n]\). In this paper, the precise value of \(R(c, 4)\) is shown to be \(\left\lceil{3c + 2}/{8}\right\rceil\) for all even \(c \geq 34\).

Nihal Yilmaz Ozgur1
1BatikeEsin UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, 10145 BALIKESIR, TURKEY
Abstract:

Given a positive integer \(n\) such that \(-1\) is a quadratic residue mod \(n\), we give an algorithm that computes the integers \(u\) and \(v\) which satisfy the equation \(n = u^2 + v^2\). To do this, we use the group structure of the Modular group \(\Gamma= \text{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})\).

Min-Jen Jou1
1Department of Insurance Ling Tung University Taichung, Taiwan 40852, R.O.C.
Abstract:

For a graph \(G = (V(G),E(G))\), a set \(S \subseteq V(G)\) is called a dominating set if \(N_G[S] = V(G)\). A dominating set \(S\) is said to be minimal if no proper subset \(S’ \subset S\) is a dominating set. Let \(\gamma(G)\) (called the domination number) and \(\Gamma(G)\) (called the upper domination number) be the minimum cardinality and the maximum cardinality of a minimal dominating set of \(G\), respectively. For a tree \(T\) of order \(n \geq 2\), it is obvious that \(1 = \gamma(K_{1,n-1}) \leq \gamma(T) \leq \Gamma(T) \leq \Gamma(K_{1,n-1}) = n-1\). Let \(t(n) = \min_{|T|=n}(\Gamma(T)-\gamma(T))\). In this paper, we determine \(t(n)\) for all natural numbers \(n\). We also characterize trees \(T\) with \(\Gamma(T) – \gamma(T) = t(n)\).

Shi-Mei Ma1
1Department of Information and Computing Science, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004, China
Abstract:

The signless \(r\)-associated Stirling numbers of the first kind \(d_r(n, k)\) counts the number of permutations of the set \(\{1,2,\ldots,n\}\) that have exactly \(k\) cycles, each of which is of length greater than or equal to \(r\), where \(r\)is a fixed positive integer. F. Brenti obtained that the generating polynomials of the numbers \(d_r(n, k)\) have only real zeros. Here we consider the location of zeros of these polynomials.

Chin-Mei Fu1, Wen-Chung Huang2
1Department of Mathematics Tamkang University, Tamsui, Taipei Shien, Taiwan, Republic of China
2Department of Mathematics Soochow University Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Abstract:

A kite-design of order \(n\) is a decomposition of the complete graph \(K_n\) into kites. Such systems exist precisely when \(n \equiv 0,1 \pmod{8}\). Two kite systems \((X,\mathcal{K}_1)\) and \((X,\mathcal{K}_2)\) are said to intersect in \(m\) pairwise disjoint blocks if \(|\mathcal{K}_1 \cap \mathcal{K}_2| = m\) and all blocks in \(\mathcal{K}_1 \cap \mathcal{K}_2\) are pairwise disjoint. In this paper, we determine all the possible values of \(m\) such that there are two kite-designs of order \(n\) intersecting in \(m\) pairwise disjoint blocks, for all \(n \equiv 0,1 \pmod{8}\).