Ars Combinatoria

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

Ars Combinatoria is the oldest Canadian Journal of Combinatorics, established in 1976. The journal is dedicated to advancing the field of combinatorial mathematics through the publication of high-quality research papers. From 2024 onward, it publishes four volumes per year in March, June, September and December. Ars Combinatoria has gained recognition and visibility in the academic community and is indexed in renowned databases such as MathSciNet, Zentralblatt, and Scopus. The Scope of the journal includes Graph theory, Design theory, Extremal combinatorics, Enumeration, Algebraic combinatorics, Combinatorial optimization, Ramsey theory, Automorphism groups, Coding theory, Finite geometries, Chemical graph theory but not limited.

Yinghong Ma1, Aiyun Wang1, JianXiang Li2
1School of Management, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
2Department of Mathematics, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Hunan, China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a graph with vertex set \(V(G)\) and edge set \(E(G)\). The isolated toughness of \(G\) is defined as
\(I(G) = \min\left\{\frac{|S|}{i(G-S)}: S \subseteq V(G), i(G-S) \geq 2\right\}\)
if \(G\) is not complete. Otherwise, set \(I(G) = |V(G)| – 1\). Let \(a\) and \(b\) be positive integers such that \(1 \leq a \leq b\), and let \(g(x)\) and \(f(x)\) be positive integral-valued functions defined on \(V(G)\) such that \(a \leq g(x) \leq f(x) \leq b\). Let \(h(e) \in [0,1]\) be a function defined on \(E(G)\), and let \(d(x) = \sum_{e \in E_x} h(e)\) where \(E_x = \{xy : y \in V(G)\}\). Then \(d(x)\) is called the fractional degree of \(x\) in \(G\). We call \(h\) an indicator function if \(g(x) \leq d(x) \leq f(x)\) holds for each \(x \in V(G)\). Let \(E^h = \{e : e \in E(G), h(e) \neq 0\}\) and let \(G_h\) be a spanning subgraph of \(G\) such that \(E(G_h) = E^h\). We call \(G_h\) a fractional \((g,f)\)-factor. The main results in this paper are to present some sufficient conditions about isolated toughness for the existence of fractional \((g,f)\)-factors. If \(1 = g(x) < f(x) = b\), this condition can be improved and the improved bound is not only sharp but also a necessary and sufficient condition for a graph to have a fractional \([1,b]\)-factor.

Hao Li1,2, Xueliang Li3, Guizhen Liu4, Guanghui Wang1,4
1Laboratoire de Recherche en Informatique UMR 8623, C.N.R.S.-Université de Paris-sud 91405-Orsay cedex, France
2School of Mathematics and Statistics Lanzhou University 730000 Lanzhou, Gansu, China
3 Center for Combinatorics and LPMC Nankai University Tianjin 300071, China
4School of Mathematics and System Science Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100, China
Abstract:

Let \((G,C)\) be an edge-colored bipartite graph with bi-partition \((X,Y)\). A heterochromatic matching of \(G\) is such a matching in which no two edges have the same color. Let \(N^c(S)\) denote a maximum color neighborhood of \(S \subseteq V(G)\).

Damin Liu1, Hong-Jian Lai2, Zhi-Hong Chen3
1Beijing University of Chemical Technology, P. R. China
2West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
3Butler University, Indianapolis, IN 46208
Abstract:

The spanning tree packing number of a connected graph \(G\), denoted by \(\tau(G)\), is the maximum number of edge-disjoint spanning trees of \(G\). In this paper, we determine the minimum number of edges that must be added to \(G\) so that the resulting graph has spanning tree packing number at least \(k\), for a given value of \(k\).

Min Zhao1,1, Erfang Shan2
1Department of Mathematics, China Jiliang University, Zhejiang 310018, China
2Department of Mathematics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Abstract:

Let \(\gamma_{\overline{E}}\) and \(\gamma_{\overline{S}}\) be the minus edge domination and minus star domination numbers of a graph, respectively, and let \(\gamma_E\), \(\beta_1\), \(\alpha_1\) be the edge domination, matching, and edge covering numbers of a graph. In this paper, we present some bounds on \(\gamma_{\overline{E}}\) and \(\gamma_{\overline{S}}\) and characterize the extremal graphs of even order \(n\) attaining the upper bound \(\frac{n}{2}\) on \(\gamma_{\overline{E}}\). We also investigate the relationships between the above parameters.

Zhibin Du1, Bo Zhou1
1Department of Mathematics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, P. R. China
Abstract:

The Wiener index of a connected graph is defined as the sum of all distances between unordered pairs of vertices. We determine the unicyclic graphs of given order, cycle length and number of pendent vertices with minimum Wiener index.

Qinglun Yan1, Yidong Sun1, Tianming Wang2
1Department of Applied Mathematics, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024, P.R.China
2Department of mathematics , Hainan Normal University Haikou 571158, P.R.China
Abstract:

In this paper, by using the generating functions of Fibonacci polynomial sequences and their partial derivatives, we work out some identities involving the Fibonacci polynomials. As their primary applications, we obtain several identities involving the Fibonacci numbers and Lucas numbers.

Sandi Klavzar1, Matjaz Kovie2
1Department of Mathematics and Computer Science PeF’, University of Maribor Koroska cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
2Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract:

Fukuda and Handa \([7]\) asked whether every even partial cube \(G\) is harmonic-even. It is shown that the answer is positive if the isometric dimension of \(G\) equals its diameter which is in turn true for partial cubes with isometric dimension at most \(6\). Under an additional technical condition it is proved that an even partial cube \(G\) is harmonic-even or has two adjacent vertices whose diametrical vertices are at distance at least \(4\). Some related open problems are posed.

Jizhen Yang1, Zhizheng Zhang1,2
1Department of Mathematics, Luoyang Teachers’ College, Luoyang, 471022, P. R. China
2College of Mathematics and Information Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, P. R. China
Abstract:

By means of partial fraction decomposition, the purpose of this paper is to obtain a generalization of an algebraic identity which was given by Chu in \(\textit{The Electronic J. Camb.}\), \(11(2004), \#N15\).

Yanting Liang1, Bolian Liu1
1Department of Mathematics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P.R. China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a graph on \(n\) vertices \(v_1, v_2, \ldots, v_n\) and let \(d(v_i)\) be the degree of the vertex \(v_i\). If \((d(v_1), d(v_2), \ldots, d(v_n))^t\) is an eigenvector of the \((0,1)\)-adjacency matrix of \(G\), then \(G\) is said to be harmonic. A semi-regular harmonic graph is the harmonic graph which has exactly two different degrees. An equi-bipartite harmonic graph is the bipartite graph \(H = (X, Y; E)\) with \(|X| = |Y|\). In this paper, we characterize the semi-regular harmonic graph and equi-bipartite harmonic graph, and the degree sequence of equi-bipartite \(3\)-harmonic graphs.

Peter Danziger1, Eric Mendelsohn2, Gaetano Quattrocchi3
1Department of Mathematics Ryerson University Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada
2Department of Mathematics University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 3G3 Canada
3Dipartimento di Matematica Universita di Catania Catania, Italia
Abstract:

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a resolvable \(4\)-decomposition of \(AK_n\), in the case where \(H\) is one of the 10 graphs obtained by the union of two paths of length 2, with two possible exceptions. In particular, we complete the \(4\)-star (\(\lambda\)) and \(T\) (\(\tau\)) for higher \(\lambda\) and give complete solutions for resolvable decompositions into Fish (\(4\)-\(3\)), Mulinetto (\(hx\)) and Kites (\(BSI\)). In the cases of the Fish and Mulinetto the solution is obtained \(1\)-rotationally.

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