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.

Raluca Muntean1, Ping Zhang1
1 Department of Mathematics and Statistics Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
Abstract:

For an integer \(k \geq 1\), a vertex \(v\) of a graph \(G\) is \(k\)-geodominated by a pair \(z, y\) of vertices in \(G\) if \(d(x, y) = k\) and \(v\) lies on an \(x-y\) geodesic of \(G\). A set \(S\) of vertices of \(G\) is a \(k\)-geodominating set if each vertex \(v\) in \(V – S\) is \(k\)-geodominated by some pair of distinct vertices of \(S\). The minimum cardinality of a \(k\)-geodominating set of \(G\) is its \(k\)-geodomination number \(g_k(G)\).

A vertex \(v\) is openly \(k\)-geodominated by a pair \(x, y\) of distinct vertices in \(G\) if \(v\) is \(k\)-geodominated by \(x\) and \(y\) and \(v \neq x, y\). A vertex \(v\) in \(G\) is a \(k\)-extreme vertex if \(v\) is not openly \(k\)-geodominated by any pair of vertices in \(G\). A set \(S\) of vertices of \(G\) is an open \(k\)-geodominating set of \(G\) if for each vertex \(v\) of \(G\), either (1) \(v\) is \(k\)-extreme and \(v \in S\) or (2) \(v\) is openly \(k\)-geodominated by some pair of distinct vertices of \(S\). The minimum cardinality of an open \(k\)-geodominating set in \(G\) is its open \(k\)-geodomination number \(og_k(G)\).

It is shown that each triple \(a, b, k\) of integers with \(2 \leq a \leq b\) and \(k \geq 2\) is realizable as the geodomination number and \(k\)-geodomination number of some tree. For each integer \(k \geq 1\), we show that a pair \((a, n)\) of integers is realizable as the \(k\)-geodomination number (open \(k\)-geodomination number) and order of some nontrivial connected graph if and only if \(2 \leq a = n\) or \(2 \leq a \leq n – k + 1\).

We investigate how \(k\)-geodomination numbers are affected by adding a vertex. We show that if \(G\) is a nontrivial connected graph of diameter \(d\) with exactly \(l\) \(k\)-extreme vertices, then \(\{2, l\} \leq g_k(G) \leq og_k(G) \leq {3}g_k(G) – 2l\) for every integer \(k\) with \(2 \leq k \leq d\).

David S.Gunderson1
1Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Canada, T2N 1N4
Abstract:

In \(1973\), Deuber published his famous proof of Rado’s conjecture regarding partition regular sets. In his proof, he invented structures called \((m, p, c)\)-sets and gave a partition theorem for them based on repeated applications of van der Waerden’s theorem on arithmetic progressions. In this paper, we give the complete proof of Deuber’s, however with the more recent parameter set proof of his partition result for \((m, p, c)\)-sets. We then adapt this parameter set proof to show that for any \(k, m, p, c\), every \(K_k\)-free graph on the positive integers contains an \((m, p, c)\)-set, each of whose rows are independent sets.

Kevin L.Chouinard1
1Northern Virginia Community College
Abstract:

We study the weight distributions of the ternary codes of finite projective planes of order \(9\). The focus of this paper is on codewords of small Hamming weight. We show that there are many weights for which there are no codewords.

S. Akbari1, G.B. Khosrovshahi2
1Department of Mathematical Sciences Sharif University of Technology P. O. BOX 11365-9415, Tehran , Iran
2Department of Mathematics, University of Tehran and Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics P. O. Box 19395-5746, Tehran, Iran
Abstract:

For a given sequence of nonincreasing numbers, \(\mathbf{d} = (d_1, \ldots, d_n)\), a necessary and sufficient condition is presented to characterize \(d\) when its realization is a unique labelled simple graph. If \(G\) is a graph, we consider the subgraph \(G’\) of \(G\) with maximum edges which is uniquely determined with respect to its degree sequence. We call the set of \(E(G) \setminus E(G’)\) the smallest edge defining set of \(G\). This definition coincides with the similar one in design theory.

N.M. Singhi1, G.R. Vijayakumar1, N.Usha Devi2
1School of Mathematics Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba Mumbai 400005 India
2Mannar Thirumalai Naickar College Pasumalai Madurai 625004 Tamil Nadu India
Abstract:

A graph \(G\) without isolated vertices is said to be set-magic if its edges can be assigned distinct subsets of a set \(X\) such that for every vertex \(v\) of \(G\), the union of the subsets assigned to the edges incident with \(v\) is \(X\); such a set-assignment is called a set-magic labeling of \(G\). In this note, we study infinite set-magic graphs and characterize infinite graphs \(G\) having set-magic labelings \(f\) such that \(|f(e)| = 2\) for all \(e \in E(G)\).

Abstract:

A perfect \(\langle k,r \rangle\)-latin square \(A = (a_{i,j})\) of order \(n\) with \(m\) elements is an \(n \times n\) array in which each element occurs in each row and column, and the element \(a_{i,j}\) occurs either \(k\) times in row \(i\) and \(r\) times in column \(j\), or occurs \(r\) times in row \(i\) and \(k\) times in column \(j\). In 1989, Cai, Kruskal, Liu, and Shen studied the existence of perfect \(\langle k,r \rangle\)-latin squares. Here, a simpler construction of perfect \(\langle k,r \rangle\)-latin squares is given.

Yi-Chih Hsieh1
1Department of Industrial Management National Huwei Institute of Technology Huwei, Yunlin 63208, Taiwan
Abstract:

De Bruijn sequences had been well investigated in \(70s-80s\). In the past, most of the approaches used to generate de Bruijn sequences were based upon either finite field theory or combinatorial theory. This paper describes a simple approach for generating de Bruijn sequences as “seeds”, and then based upon the “seeds”, a simple procedure is presented to reproduce a class of de Bruijn sequences. Numerical results of the distribution of reproduced sequences are provided. Additionally, this paper also reports some recent applications of de Bruijn sequences in psychology and engineering.

Martin Sutton1, Anna Draganova2, Mirka Miller3
1School of Management University of Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
2Department of Mathematics Pomona College Claremont, California 91711, USA
3Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering University of Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
Abstract:

A graph \(G(V, E)\) is a mod sum graph if there is a labeling of the vertices with distinct positive integers so that an edge is present if and only if the sum of the labels of the vertices incident on the edge, modulo some positive integer, is the label of a vertex of the graph. It is known that wheels are not mod sum graphs. The mod sum number of a graph is the minimum number of isolates that, together with the given graph, form a mod sum graph. The mod sum number is known for just a few classes of graphs. In this paper we show that the mod sum number of the \(n\)-spoked wheel, \(\rho(W_n)\), \(n \geq 5\), is \(n\) when \(n\) is odd and \(2\) when \(n\) is even.

Yoomi Rho1
1Department of Mathematics Yonsei University Seoul, Korea 120-749
Abstract:

Kahn (see [3]) reported that N. Alon, M. Saks, and P. D. Seymour made the following conjecture. If the edge set of a graph \(G\) is the disjoint union of the edge sets of \(m\) complete bipartite graphs, then \(\chi(G) \leq m+1\). The purpose of this paper is to provide a proof of this conjecture for \(m \leq 4\) and \(m \geq n – 3\) where \(G\) has \(n\) vertices.

Gabor Basco1, Zsolt Tuza1
1 Computer and Automation Institute Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-1111 Budapest, Kende u. 13-17 Hungary
Abstract:

In a graph \(G = (V, E)\), a set \(S\) of vertices (as well as the subgraph induced by \(S\)) is said to be dominating if every vertex in \(V \setminus S\) has at least one neighbor in \(S\). For a given class \(\mathcal{D}\) of connected graphs, it is an interesting problem to characterize the class \({Dom}(\mathcal{D})\) of graphs \(G\) such that each connected induced subgraph of \(G\) contains a dominating subgraph belonging to \(\mathcal{D}\). Here we determine \({Dom}(\mathcal{D})\) for \(\mathcal{D} = \{P_1, P_2, P_5\}\), \(\mathcal{D} = \{K_t \mid t \geq 1\} \cup \{P_5\}\), and \(\mathcal{D} =\) {connected graphs on at most four vertices} (where \(P_t\) and \(K_t\) denote the path and the complete graph on \(t\) vertices, respectively). The third theorem solves a problem raised by Cozzens and Kelleher [\(Discr. Math.\) 86 (1990), 101-116]. It turns out that, in each case, a concise characterization in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs can be given.