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.

Yukio Shibata1, Yasuo Seki2
1 Department of Computer Science Gunma University 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376 Japan
2NTT Corporation 66-2 Horikawa-cho, Saiwaiku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 210 Japan
Abstract:

We study the isomorphic factorization of complete bipartite graphs into trees. It is known that for complete bipartite graphs, the divisibility condition is also a sufficient condition for the existence of isomorphic factorization. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the divisibility, that is, necessary and sufficient conditions for a pair \([m,n]\) such that \(mn\) is divisible by \((m+n-1)\), and investigate structures of the set of pairs \([m,n]\) satisfying divisibility. Then we prove that the divisibility condition is also sufficient for the existence of an isomorphic tree factor of a complete bipartite graph by constructing the tree dividing \(K({m,n})\).

A. Pawel Wojda1, Mariusz Woéniak1
1Instvtut Matematyki Akademia G6émiczo-Hutnicza Al. Mickiewicza 30 30-059 Krak6éw, Poland
Abstract:

A known theorem of Bigalke and Jung says that the only nonhamiltonian, tough graph \(G\) with \(\alpha(G) \leq H(G) + 1\), where \(H(G) \geq 3\), is the Petersen graph. In this paper we characterize all nonhamiltonian, tough graphs having k total vertex (i.e. adjacent to all others) with \(\alpha(G) \leq k+ 2\) (Theorem 3).

S.A. Choudum1
1 School of Mathematical Sciences Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai 625 021 INDIA
Abstract:

Given a sequence \(S: d_1, d_2, \ldots, d_p\) of non-negative integers, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a subsequence of \(S\) with \(p – 1\) terms to be graphical.

S.M. Lee1, A. Lia2
1 Department of Mathematics and Computing Science San Jose State University San Jose, CA 95192
2 Department of Mathematics University of Alberta Edmonton, ALTA, T6G 2G1
Lian-Chang Zhao 1, Jing-Hua Meng 1
1Department of Mathematics Northeast Institute of Technology Shenyang PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Abstract:

Let \(D\) be a strictly disconnected digraph with \(n\) vertices. A common out-neighbor (resp. in-neighbor) of a pair of vertices \(u\) and \(v\) is a vertex \(x\) such that \(ux\) and \(vx\) (resp. \(xu\) and \(xv\)) are arcs of \(D\). It is shown that if

\[d^+(u_1) + d^+(v_1) + d^-(u_2) + d^-(v_2) > 2n-1\]

for any pair \(u_1, v_1\) of nonadjacent vertices with a common out-neighbor and any pair \(u_2, v_2\) of nonadjacent vertices with a common in-neighbor, then \(D\) contains a directed Hamiltonian cycle.

K. Sinha1, M. K. Singh2
1 Department of Statistics Birsa Agricultural University Ranchi 834006
2 Department of Mathematics Ranchi University Ranchi 834001 INDIA
Abstract:

A series of partially balanced incomplete block design yields under certain
restrictions, a new series of BIB designs with parameters:
\[v=\binom{2s+1}{2}, b=\frac{1}{2}(s+1)\binom{2s+1}{s+1}\]
\[v=s \binom{2s-1}{s},k=s^2, \lambda=(s-1)\binom{2s-1}{s-1}\]
where \(s \geq 2\) is any positive integer.

Xiang-dong Hou1
1 Department of Mathematics University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming 82071 U.S.A.
Abstract:

A \(d\)-design is an \(n \times n\) \((0,1)\)-matrix \(A\) satisfying \(A^t A = \lambda J + {diag}(k_1 – \lambda, \ldots, k_n – \lambda)\), where \(A^t\) is the transpose of \(A\), \(J\) is the \(n \times n\) matrix of ones, \(k_j >\lambda > 0\) (\(1 \leq j \leq n\)), and not all \(k_i\)’s are equal. Ryser [4] and Woodall [6] showed that such an \(A\) has precisely two row sums \(r_1\) and \(r_2\) (\(r_1 > r_2\)) with \(r_1 + r_2 = n + 1\). Let \(e_1\) be the number of rows of \(A\) with sum \(r_1\). It is shown that if \(e_1 = 4\), then \(\lambda = 3\).

Xu Shaoji1
1Department of Mathematics Shanghai Teachers’ University Shanghai, China
Abstract:

In this note we introduce a lemma which is useful in studying the chromaticity of graphs. As examples, we give a short proof for a conclusion in \([3]\).

J.A. Davis 1
1 University of Richmond VA 23173 U.S.A.
Abstract:

The existence of difference sets in abelian \(2\)-groups is a recently settled problem \([5]\); this note extends the abelian constructs of difference sets to nonabelian groups of order \(64\).

Manolis Manoussakis1, Yannis Manoussakis2
1 Universitat Salzburg Mathematisches Institut Hellbrunnerstr 34, AUSTRIA
2Université PARIS-XI (ORSAY) L.R.I. bat. 490 91405 ORSAY Cedex, FRANCE
Abstract:

We deal with conditions on the number of arcs sufficient for bipartite digraphs to have cycles and paths with specified properties.