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.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 169-179
- Published: 31/07/2002
A set \(S\) of vertices of a graph \(G\) is a total dominating set if every vertex of \(V(G)\) is adjacent to some vertex in \(S\). The total domination number \(\gamma_t(G)\) is the minimum cardinality of a total dominating set of \(G\). Let \(G\) be a spanning subgraph of \(K_{s,s}\), and let \(H\) be the complement of \(G\) relative to \(K_{s,s}\); that is, \(K_{s,s} = G \oplus H\) is a factorization of \(K_{s,s}\). The graph \(G\) is \(k\)-critical relative to \(K_{s,s}\) if \(\gamma_t(G) = k\) and \(\gamma_t(G + e) < k\) for all \(e \in E(H)\). We study \(k_t\)-critical graphs relative to \(K_{s,s}\) for small values of \(k\). In particular, we characterize the \(3\)-critical and \(4_t\)-critical graphs.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 163-168
- Published: 31/07/2002
Let \(S\) be a nonempty subset of the cyclic group \(\mathbb{Z}_p\), where \(p\) is an odd prime. Denote the \(n\)-fold sum of \(S\) as \(n..S\). That is,\(n..S = \{s_1 + \cdots + s_n \mid s_1, \ldots, s_n \in S\}.\) We say that \(S\) is an \((n, 0)\)-set if \(0 \notin n..S\). Let \(k, s\) be integers with \(k \geq 2\) such that \(p-1 = ks\). In this paper, we determine the number of \((k, 0)\)-sets of \(\mathbb{Z}_p\) which are in arithmetic progression and show explicitly the forms taken by those \((k, 0)\)-sets which achieve the maximum cardinality.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 129-162
- Published: 31/07/2002
In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the existence of extended \(5\)-cycle systems of order \(n\) which have \(r\) idempotent elements.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 117-127
- Published: 31/07/2002
An \((f,2)\)-graph is a multigraph \(G\) such that each vertex of \(G\) has degree either \(f\) or \(2\). Let \(S(n, f)\) denote the simple graph whose vertex set is the set of unlabeled \((f,2)\)-graphs of order no greater than \(n\) and such that \(\{G, H\}\) is an edge in \(S(n, f)\) if and only if \(H\) can be obtained from \(G\) by either an insertion or a suppression of a vertex of degree \(2\). We also consider digraphs whose nodes are labeled or unlabeled \((f, 2)\)-multigraphs and with arcs \((G, H)\) defined as for \(\{G, H\}\).
We study the structure of these graphs and digraphs. In particular, the diameter of a given component is determined. We conclude by defining a random process on these digraphs and derive some properties. Chemistry applications are suggested.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 109-116
- Published: 31/07/2002
Given a coloring \(f\) of Euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and some group \(G\) of its transformations, its subsets \(A\) and \(B\) are said to be colored similarly, if there exists \(g \in G\), such that \(B = g(A)\) and \(f(a) = f(g(a))\), for all \(a \in A\). From our earlier result [12] it follows that there are \(2\)-colorings of \(\mathbb{R}^n\), in which no two different line segments are colored similarly with respect to isometries. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate other types of such pattern avoiding colorings. In particular, we consider topological as well as measure theoretic aspects of the above scene. Our motivation for studying this topic is twofold. One is that it extends square-free colorings of \(\mathbb{R}\), introduced in [2] as a continuous version of the famous non-repetitive sequences of Thue. The other is its relationship to some exciting problems and results of Euclidean Ramsey Theory, especially those concerning avoiding distances.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 97-107
- Published: 31/07/2002
In this paper, a definition of perfect binary matroids is considered and it is shown that, analogous to the Perfect Graph Theorem of Lovász and Fulkerson, the complement of a perfect matroid is also a perfect matroid. In addition, the classes of critically imperfect graphic matroids and critically imperfect graphs are compared.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 81-95
- Published: 31/07/2002
A \((p,q)\) graph \(G\) is edge-magic if there exists a bijective function \(f : V(G) \cup E(G) \to \{1,2,\ldots,p+q\}\) such that \(f(u) + f(v) + f(uv) = k\) is a constant, called the valence of \(f\), for any edge \(uv\) of \(G\). Moreover, \(G\) is said to be super edge-magic if \(f(V(G)) = \{1,2,\ldots,p\}\). Every super edge-magic \((p,q)\) graph is cordial, and it is harmonious and sequential whenever it is a tree or \(q \geq p\). In this paper, it is shown to be edge-antimagic as well. The super edge-magic properties of several classes of connected and disconnected graphs are studied. Furthermore, we prove that there can be arbitrarily large gaps among the possible valences for certain super edge-magic graphs. We also establish that the disjoint union of multiple copies of a super edge-magic linear forest is super edge-magic if the number of copies is odd.
- Research article
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- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 65-80
- Published: 31/07/2002
In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the metamorphosis of a \(\lambda\)-fold \(K_{3,3}\)-design of order \(n\) into a \(\lambda\)-fold \(6\)-cycle system of order \(n\), by retaining one \(6\)-cycle subgraph from each copy of \(K_{3,3}\), and then rearranging the set of all the remaining edges, three from each \(K_{3,3}\), into further \(6\)-cycles so that the result is a \(\lambda\)-fold \(6\)-cycle system.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 51-64
- Published: 31/07/2002
Partially balanced diallel cross block designs with \(m\) associate classes are defined and two general methods of construction are presented. Two-associate class designs based upon group divisible, triangular, and extended group divisible association schemes obtained using the general methods are also given. Tables of designs for no more than \(24\) parental lines are provided.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 064
- Pages: 33-49
- Published: 31/07/2002
Given a non-planar graph \(G\) with a subdivision of \(K_5\) as a subgraph, we can either transform the \(K_5\)-subdivision into a \(K_{3,3}\)-subdivision if it is possible, or else we obtain a partition of the vertices of \(G\backslash K_5\) into equivalence classes. As a result, we can reduce a projective planarity or toroidality algorithm to a small constant number of simple planarity checks [6] or to a \(K_{3,3}\)-subdivision in the graph \(G\). It significantly simplifies algorithms presented in [7], [10], and [12]. We then need to consider only the embeddings on the given surface of a \(K_{3,3}\)-subdivision, which are much less numerous than those of \(K_5\).
Call for papers
- Proceedings of International Conference on Discrete Mathematics (ICDM 2025) – Submissions are closed
- Proceedings of International Conference on Graph Theory and its Applications (ICGTA 2026)
- Special Issue of Ars Combinatoria on Graph Theory and its Applications (ICGTA 2025)
- MWTA 2025 – Proceedings in Ars Combinatoria




