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.

Zoran Z. Petrovié 1, Zoran S. Pucanovié2
1Faculty of Mathematics University of Belgrade Studentski trg 16 11000 Beograd, Serbia
2Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Belgrade Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 73 11000 Beograd, Serbia
Abstract:

To gain a better understanding of clean rings and their relatives, the clean graph of a commutative ring with identity is introduced and its various properties are established. Further investigation of clean graphs leads to additional results concerning other classes of rings.

Guanglong Yu1, Shuguang Guo1, Mingqing Zhai2
1Department of Mathematics, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224002, Jiangsu, P.R. China
2Department of Mathematics, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou, 239012, Anhui, P.R. China
Abstract:

For a connected graph, the distance spectral radius is the largest eigenvalue of its distance matrix. In this paper, of all trees with both given order and fixed diameter, the trees with the minimal distance spectral radius are completely characterized.

Ch. Eslahchi1, H.R. Maimani2,3, R. Torabi4, R. Tusserkani3
1 Department of Computer Science, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C. Tehran, Iran.
2Department of Mathematics, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
3School of Computer Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran,Iran.
4School of Computer Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran,iran.
Abstract:

In this paper, a domination-type parameter, called dynamical \(2\)-domination number, will be introduced. Let \(G = (V(G), E(G))\) be a graph. A subset \(D \subseteq V(G)\) is called a \(2\)-dominating set in \(G\) if every vertex in \(V(G) \setminus D\) is adjacent to at least two vertices in \(D\), and in this paper \(D\) is called a dynamical \(2\)-dominating set if there exists a sequence of sets \(D = V_0 \subseteq V_1 \subseteq V_2 \subseteq \cdots \subseteq V_k = V(G)\) such that, for each \(i\), \(V_{i-1}\) is a \(2\)-dominating set in \(\langle V_i \rangle\), the induced subgraph generated by \(V_i\). Also, for a given graph \(G\), the size of its dynamical \(2\)-dominating sets of minimum cardinality will be called the dynamical \(2\)-domination number of \(G\) and will be denoted by \(\bar{\gamma}_{2}(G)\). We study some basic properties of dynamical \(2\)-dominating sets and compute \(\bar{\gamma}_{2}(G)\) for some graph classes. Also, some results about \(\bar{\gamma}_{2}\) of a number of binary operations on graphs are proved. A characterization of graphs with extreme values of \(\bar{\gamma}_{2}\) is presented. Finally, we study this concept for trees and give an upper bound and a lower bound for the dynamical \(2\)-domination number of trees.

Liancui Zuo1, Shasha Ma 1, Shaoqiang Zhang1
1College of Mathematical Science, Tianjin Normal University, 300387, China
Abstract:

A graph \(G\) is said to be equitably \(k\)-colorable if the vertex set of \(G\) can be divided into \(k\) independent sets for which any two sets differ in size at most one. The equitable chromatic number of \(G\), \(\chi_{=}(G)\), is the minimum \(k\) for which \(G\) is equitably \(k\)-colorable. The equitable chromatic threshold of \(G\), \(\chi_m^*(G)\), is the minimum \(k\) for which \(G\) is equitably \(k’\)-colorable for all \(k’ \geq k\). In this paper, the exact values of \(\chi_m^*(P_{n’,2} \square K_{m,n})\) and \(\chi_{=}(P_{n’,m} \square K_{m,n})\) are obtained except that \(3 \leq \xi_m^*(P_{5,2} \square K_{m,n}) = \chi_{=}(P_{s,m} \square K_{m,n}) \leq 4\) when \(m+n \geq 3\min\{m,n\} + 2\) or \(m+n < 3\min\{m,n\} – 2\).

Fuqin Zhan1,2, Youfu Qiao1,2, Junliang Cai3
1School of Mathematics and Statistics, Zhaoging University, Zhaoging 526061, P.R.China
2Department of Mathematics, Hechi University, Yizhou 546800, P.R.China
3College of mathematics, Betjing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P.R.China
Abstract:

The sum-connectivity energy of a graph is defined as the sum of the absolute value of all the eigenvalues of its sum-connectivity matrix. In this paper, we give further lower and upper bounds for the sum-connectivity energy in terms of the number of vertices, number of edges, the harmonic index, and determinant of the sum-connectivity matrix. We also show that among connected graphs with \(n\) vertices, the star graph \(K_{1,n-1}\) has the minimum sum-connectivity energy.

Mohsen Ghasemi1, Rezvan Varmazyar2
1Department Of Mathematics, Urmia University, Urmia 57135, Iran
2Department Of Mathematics, Khoy Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kooy, 58168-44799, Iran
Abstract:

A graph is one-regular if its automorphism group acts regularly on the set of its arcs. In this paper, \(4\)-valent one-regular graphs of order \(5p^2\), where \(p\) is a prime, are classified.

Ligiong Xu1, Fuji Zhang2
1School of Science, Jimei University, Xiamen Fujian 361021, China
2 School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen Fujian 361005, China
Abstract:

In this paper, we obtain that the characteristic polynomials of the signless Laplacian matrix of \(Q(G)\), \(R(G)\), \(T(G)\) can be expressed in terms of the characteristic polynomial of \(G\) when \(G\) is a regular or semiregular graph, from which upper bounds for the incidence energy of \(Q(G)\), \(R(G)\), \(T(G)\) are deduced.

S. Akbari1,2, B. Miraftab1, R. Nikandish3
1Department of Mathematical Sciences, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2School of Mathematics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, (IPM) P.O. Box 19395-5746
3Department of Basic Sciences, Jundi-Shapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran P.O. Box 64615-334
Abstract:

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with unity. The co-maximal ideal graph of \(R\), denoted by \(\Gamma(R)\), is a graph whose vertices are the proper ideals of \(R\) which are not contained in the Jacobson radical of \(R\), and two vertices \(I_1\) and \(I_2\) are adjacent if and only if \(I_1 + I_2 = R\). We classify all commutative rings whose co-maximal ideal graphs are planar. In 2012, the following question was posed: If \(\Gamma(R)\) is an infinite star graph, can \(R\) be isomorphic to the direct product of a field and a local ring? In this paper, we give an affirmative answer to this question.

De-Yin Zheng1, Peipei Tang2
1Department of Mathematics, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, P. R. China
2School of Computing Science, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou 310015, P. R. China.
Abstract:

In this paper, a generalization of the Stirling numbers of the first and second kind, called \(m\) -Stirling numbers of the first and second kind, are derived. Based on the colored base-\(m\) number system, we give a combinatorial interpretation of \(m\) -Stirling numbers of the second kind. Some basic properties of the two kinds of \(m\) -Stirling numbers, including generating functions, explicit expressions, and recurrence relations, are also obtained.

Fang Yang1, Xiang-en Chen1, Chunyan Ma1
1College of Mathematics and Statistics, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, P.R. China
Abstract:

A proper \(k\)-total coloring of a simple graph \(G\) is called \(k\)-vertex-distinguishing proper total coloring (\(k\)-VDTC) if for any two distinct vertices \(u\) and \(v\) of \(G\), the set of colors assigned to \(u\) and its incident edges differs from the set of colors assigned to \(v\) and its incident edges. The minimum number of colors required for a vertex-distinguishing proper total coloring of \(G\), denoted by \(\chi_{vt}(G)\), is called the vertex-distinguishing proper total chromatic number. For \(p\) even, \(p \geq 4\) and \(q \geq 3\), we will obtain vertex-distinguishing proper total chromatic numbers of complete \(p\)-partite graphs with each part of cardinality \(q\).