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.

Maged Z.Youssef1,2
1Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Science, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, P.O. Box 90950 Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
2Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia 11566, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract:

In this paper, we give a general result which enlarge the class of graphs known to have \(\alpha\)-labeling.

Jeng-Jong Lin1
1Ling Tung University, Taichung 40852, Taiwan
Abstract:

An independent set in a graph \(G\) is a subset \(I\) of the vertices such that no two vertices in \(I\) are adjacent. We say that \(I\) is a maximum independent set in \(G\) if no other independent set is larger than \(I\). In this paper, we study the problem of determining the second and third largest number of maximum independent sets among all trees and forests. Extremal graphs achieving these values are also given.

Chuan-Min Lee1
1Department of Computer and Communication Engineering Ming Chuan University 5 De Ming Rd., Guishan District, Taoyuan City 993, Taiwan.
Abstract:

This paper is motivated by the concept of the signed \(k\)-independence problem and dedicated to the complexity of the problem on graphs. We show that the problem is linear-time solvable for any strongly chordal graph with a strong elimination ordering and polynomial-time solvable for distance-hereditary graphs. For any fixed positive integer \(k \geq 1\), we show that the signed \(k\)-independence problem on chordal graphs and bipartite planar graphs is NP-complete. Furthermore, we show that even when restricted to chordal graphs or bipartite planar graphs, the signed \(k\)-independence problem, parameterized by a positive integer \(k\) and weight \(\kappa\), is not fixed-parameter tractable.

Abstract:

Edge minimal Hamilton laceable bigraphs on \(2m\) vertices have at least \(\left\lfloor \frac{m+3}{6} \right\rfloor\) vertices of degree \(2\). If a bigraph is edge minimal with respect to Hamilton laceability, it is by definition edge critical, meaning the deletion of any edge will cause it to no longer be Hamilton laceable. The converse need not be true. The \(m\)-crossed prisms \([8]\) on \(4m\) vertices are edge critical for \(m \geq 2\) but not edge minimal since they are cubic. A simple modification of \(m\)-crossed prisms forms a family of “sausage” bigraphs on \(4m + 2\) vertices that are also cubic and edge critical. Both these families share the unusual property that they have exponentially many Hamilton paths between every pair of vertices in different parts. Even so, since the bigraphs are edge critical, deleting an arbitrary edge results in at least one pair having none.

Dae San Kim1, Taekyun Kim2
1DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, SOGANG UNIVERSITY, SEOUL 121-742, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
2DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, KWANGWOON UNIVERSITY, SEOUL 139-701, REPUB- LIC OF KOREA
Abstract:

In this paper, we investigate some new identities of symmetry for the Carlitz \(q\)-Bernoulli polynomials invariant under \(S_4\), which are derived from \(p\)-adic \(q\)-integrals on \(\mathbb{Z}_p\).

Xiang Yong Sun1, Jian Liang Wu2
1School of Statistics and Mathematics, Shandong Economic University, Jinan, 250014, China
2School of Mathematics and Systems Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
Abstract:

In this paper, we give the definition of acyclic total coloring and acyclic total chromatic number of a graph. It is proved that the acyclic total chromatic number of a planar graph \(G\) with maximum degree \(\Delta(G)\) and girth \(g\) is at most \(\Delta(G)+2\) if \(\Delta \geq 12\), or \(\Delta \geq 6\) and \(g \geq 4\), or \(\Delta = 5\) and \(g \geq 5\), or \(g \geq 6\). Moreover, if \(G\) is a series-parallel graph with \(\Delta \geq 3\) or a planar graph with \(\Delta \geq 3\) and \(g \geq 12\), then the acyclic total chromatic number of \(G\) is \(\Delta(G) + 1\).

Tingzeng Wu1,2, Heping Zhang2
1School of Mathematics and Statistics, Qinghai Nationalities University, Xining, Qinghai 810007, P. R. China
2School of Mathematics and Statistics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P. R. China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a graph and \(\pi(G, x)\) its permanental polynomial. A vertex-deleted subgraph of \(G\) is a subgraph \(G – v\) obtained by deleting from \(G\) vertex \(v\) and all edges incident to it. In this paper, we show that the derivative of the permanental polynomial of \(G\) equals the sum of permanental polynomials of all vertex-deleted subgraphs of \(G\). Furthermore, we discuss the permanental polynomial version of Gutman’s problem [Research problem \(134\), Discrete Math. \(88 (1991) 105–106\)], and give a solution.

K. Kayathri1, S.Pethanachi Selvam2
1Department of Mathematics Thiagarajar College, Madurai-625 009
2Department of Mathematics The Standard Fireworks Rajaratnam College for Women Sivakasi – 626 123.
Abstract:

A semigraph G is edge complete if every pair of edges in G are adjacent. In this paper, we enumerate the non isomorphic semigraphs in one type of edge complete \((p,3)\) semigraphs without isolated vertices.

Dengju Ma1,2, Han Ren2, Damei Lv1
1School of Sciences, Nantong University, Jiangsu Province, 226019, China
2Department of Mathematics, East China Normal University, Shanghai,200241, China
Abstract:

In this paper, the \(\lambda\)-number of the circular graph \(C(km, m)\) is shown to be at most \(9\) where \(m \geq 3\) and \(k \geq 2\), and the \(\lambda\)-number of the circular graph \(C(km + s, m)\) is shown to be at most \(15\) where \(m \geq 3\), \(k \geq 2\), and \(1 \leq s \leq m-1\). In particular, the \(\lambda\)-numbers of \(C(2m, m)\) and \(C(n, 2)\) are determined, which are at most \(8\). All our results indicate that Griggs and Yeh’s conjecture holds for circular graphs. The conjecture says that for any graph \(G\) with maximum degree \(\Delta \geq 2\), \(\lambda(G) \leq \Delta^2\). Also, we determine \(\lambda\)-numbers of \(C(n, 3)\), \(C(n, 4)\), and \(C(n, 5)\) if \(n \equiv 0 \pmod{7}\).

Sapna Jain1
1Department of Mathematics University of Delhi Delhi 110 007 India
Abstract:

In this paper, we generalize the notion of solid bursts from classical codes equipped with Hamming metric \([14]\) to array codes endowed with RT-metric \([13]\) and obtain some bounds on the parameters of RT-metric array codes for the correction and detection of solid burst array errors.