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.

D.G. Kim1
1Liberal Arts and Science, Chungwoon University, South Korea
Abstract:

In this paper, we are interested in lexicographic codes which are greedily constructed codes. For an arbitrary length \(n\), we shall find the basis of quaternary lexicographic codes, for short, lexicodes, with minimum distance \(d_m = 4\). Also, using a linear nim sum of some bases (such a vector is called the testing vector), its decoding algorithm will be found.

Chariya Uiyyasathian1, Kathryn Fraughnaugh1
1Department of Mathematics University of Colorado at Denver, 80202
Abstract:

A maximal-clique partition of a graph is a family of its maximal complete sub-graphs that partitions its edge set. Many graphs do not have a maximal-clique partition, while some graphs have more than one. It is harder to find graphs in which maximal-clique partitions have different sizes. \(L(K_5)\) is a well-known example. In \(1982\), Pullman, Shank, and Wallis \([9]\) asked if there is a graph with fewer vertices than \(L(K_5)\) with this property. This paper confirms that there is no such graph.

Debra L.Boutin1
1Department of Mathematics Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323
Abstract:

Can an arbitrary graph be embedded in Euclidean space so that the isometry group of its vertex set is precisely its graph automorphism group? This paper gives an affirmative answer, explores the number of dimensions necessary, and classifies the outerplanar graphs that have such an embedding in the plane.

Jonathan Leech1
1Department of Mathematics Westmont College 955 La Paz Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108-1099 USA
Darrin D.Frey1, James A.Sellers2
1Department of Science and Math Cedarville University Cedarville, OH 45314
2Department of Mathematics The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802
Abstract:

In this note, we consider arithmetic properties of the function

\[K(n)=\frac{(2n)!(2n+2)!}{(n-1)!(n+1)!^2(n+2)!}\]

which counts the number of two-legged knot diagrams with one self-intersection and \(n-1\) tangencies. This function recently arose in a paper by Jacobsen and Zinn-Justin on the enumeration of knots via a transfer matrix approach. Using elementary number theoretic techniques, we prove various results concerning \(K(n)\), including the following:

  1. \(K(n)\) is never odd,
  2. \(K(n)\) is never a quadratic residue modulo \(3\), and
  3. \(K(n)\) is never a quadratic residue modulo \(5\).
Wei-Fan Wang1, Ko-Wei Lih2
1Department of Mathematics Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua 321004, P. R. China
2Institute of Mathematics Academia Sinica Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
Abstract:

A Halin graph is a plane graph \(H = T \cup C\), where \(T\) is a tree with no vertex of degree two and at least one vertex of degree three or more, and \(C\) is a cycle connecting the pendant vertices of \(T\) in the cyclic order determined by the drawing of \(T\). In this paper we determine the list chromatic number, the list chromatic index, and the list total chromatic number (except when \(\Delta = 3\)) of all Halin graphs, where \(\Delta\) denotes the maximum degree of \(H\).

Kiran R.Bhutani1, Bilal Khan1
1Center for Computational Science Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. 20375
Abstract:

In \([4]\) Fan Chung Graham investigates the notion of graph labelings and related bandwidth and cutwidth of such labelings when the host graph is a path graph. Motivated by problems presented in \([4]\) and our investigation of designing efficient virtual path layouts for communication networks, we investigate in this note labeling methods on graphs where the host graph is not restricted to a particular kind of graph. In \([2]\) authors introduced a metric on the set of connected simple graphs of a given order which represents load on edges of host graph under some restrictions on bandwidth of such labelings. In communication networks this translates into finding mappings between guest graph and host graph in a way that minimizes the congestion while restricting the delay. In this note, we present optimal mappings between special \(n\)-vertex graphs in \(\mathcal{G}_n\), and compute their distances with respect to the metric introduced in \([2]\). Some open questions are also presented.

J. Blasiak1, J. Rowe1, L. Traldi1, O. Yacobi1
1Department of Mathematics, Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania 18042
Abstract:

We discuss several equivalent definitions of matroids, motivated by the single forbidden minor of matroid basis clutters.

Anders Claesson1, Toufik Mansour2
1MATEMATIK, CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA OCH GOTEBORGS UNIVERSITET, S-412 96 GOTEBORG, SWEDEN
2DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, S-412 96 GOTEBORG, SWEDEN
Abstract:

Babson and Steingrimsson introduced generalized permutation patterns that allow the requirement that two adjacent letters in a pattern must be adjacent in the permutation. Subsequently, Claesson presented a complete solution for the number of permutations avoiding any single pattern of type \((1,2)\) or \((2,1)\). For eight of these twelve patterns the answer is given by the Bell numbers. For the remaining four the answer is given by the Catalan numbers.

In the present paper we give a complete solution for the number of permutations avoiding a pair of patterns of type \((1,2)\) or \((2,1)\). We also conjecture the number of permutations avoiding the patterns in any set of three or more such patterns.

Xue-gang Chen1, De-xiang Ma2, Liang Sun3
1Department of Mathematics, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
2The College of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266510, China
3Department of Applied Mathematics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P.R. China.
Abstract:

Let \(k \geq 1\) be an integer and let \(G\) be a graph of order \(p\). A set \(S\) of vertices in a graph is a total \(k\)-dominating set if every vertex of \(G\) is within distance at most \(k\) from some vertex of \(S\) other than itself. The smallest cardinality of such a set of vertices is called the total \(k\)-domination number of the graph and is denoted by \(\gamma_k^t(G)\). It is well known that \(\gamma_k^t(G) \leq \frac{2p}{2k+1}\) for \(p \leq 2k + 1\). In this paper, we present a characterization of connected graphs that achieve the upper bound. Furthermore, we characterize the connected graph \(G\) with \(\gamma_k^t(G) + \gamma_k^t(\overline{G}) = \frac{2p}{2k+1} + 2\).