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.

Nader Jafari Rad1,2
1Department of Mathematics, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran
2School of Mathematics Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) P.O. Box 19395-5746, Tehran, Iran
Abstract:

A graph \(G\) with no isolated vertex is total restrained domination vertex critical if for any vertex \(v\) of \(G\) that is not adjacent to a vertex of degree one, the total restrained domination number of \(G – v\) is less than the total restrained domination number of \(G\). We call these graphs \(\gamma_{tr}\)-vertex critical. If such a graph \(G\) has total restrained domination number \(k\), then we call it \(k\)-\(\gamma_{tr}\)-vertex critical. In this paper, we study some properties in \(\gamma_{tr}\)-vertex critical graphs of minimum degree at least two.

Xiao Zhang1
1LMAM AND SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, PEKING UNIvERSITY, BELING, 100871, PRC
Abstract:

In this paper, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for a function with the form \(tr(\sum_{i=1}^q a_ix^{i(q-1)})\) to be a generalized bent function. We indicate that these generalized bent functions are just those which could be constructed from partial spreads. We also introduce a method to calculate these generalized bent functions by means of interpolation.

A. Erfanian1, B. Tolue1, N.H. Sarmin2
1Department of Mathematics and Center of Excellence in Analysis on Algebraic Structures, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Malaysia.
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(n\) a positive integer. The \(n\)-th commutativity degree \(P_n(G)\) of \(G\) is the probability that the \(n\)-th power of a random element of \(G\) commutes with another random element of \(G\). In 1968, P. Erdős and P. Turán investigated the case \(n = 1\), involving only methods of combinatorics. Later, several authors improved their studies and there is a growing literature on the topic in the last 10 years. We introduce the relative \(n\)-th commutativity degree \(P_n(H,G)\) of a subgroup \(H\) of \(G\). This is the probability that an \(n\)-th power of a random element in \(H\) commutes with an element in \(G\). The influence of \(P_n(G)\) and \(P_n(H,G)\) on the structure of \(G\) is the purpose of the present work.

George He1, Yuejian Peng2, Cheng Zhao2
1EOIR Technologies, Inc. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN, 47809
2Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN, 47809
Abstract:

It is known that determining the Lagrangian of a general \(r\)-uniform hypergraph is useful in practice and is non-trivial when \(r \geq 3\). In this paper, we explore the Lagrangians of \(3\)-uniform hypergraphs with edge sets having restricted structures. In particular, we establish a number of optimization problems for finding the largest Lagrangian of \(3\)-uniform hypergraphs with the number of edges \(m = \binom{k}{3} – a\), where \(a = 3\) or \(4\). We also verify that the largest Lagrangian has the colex ordering structure for \(3\)-uniform hypergraphs when the number of edges is small.

Fengwei Xu1, Weifan Wang1
1 Department of Mathematics Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Abstract:

Let \(D\) be an acyclic orientation of a simple graph \(G\). An arc of \(D\) is called dependent if its reversal creates a directed cycle. Let \(d(D)\) denote the number of dependent arcs in \(D\). Define \(d_{\min}(G)\) (\(d_{\max}(G)\)) to be the minimum (maximum) number of \(d(D)\) over all acyclic orientations \(D\) of \(G\). We call \(G\) fully orientable if \(G\) has an acyclic orientation with exactly \(k\) dependent arcs for every \(k\) satisfying \(d_{\min}(G) \leq k \leq d_{\max}(G)\). In this paper, we prove that the square of a cycle \(C_n\) is fully orientable except for \(n = 6\).

Abstract:

Let \(G = (V, A)\) be a graph. For every subset \(X\) of \(V\), the sub-graph \(G(X) = (X, A \cap (X \times X))\) of \(G\) induced by \(X\) is associated. The dual of \(G\) is the graph \(G^* = (V, A^*)\)such that \(A^* = \{(x,y): (y,x) \in A\}\). A graph \(G’\) is hemimorphic to \(G\) if it is isomorphic to \(G\) or \(G^*\). Let \(k \geq 1\) be an integer. A graph \(G’\) defined on the same vertex set \(V\) of \(G\) is \((\leq k)\)-hypomorphic (resp. \((\leq k)\)-hemimorphic) to \(G\) if for all subsets \(X\) of \(V\) with at most \(k\) elements, the sub-graphs \(G(X)\) and \(G'(X)\) are isomorphic (resp. hemimorphic). \(G\) is called \((\leq k)\)-reconstructible (resp. \((\leq k)\)-half-reconstructible) provided that every graph \(G’\) which is \((\leq k)\)-hypomorphic (resp. \((\leq k)\)-hemimorphic) to \(G\) is hypomorphic (resp. hemimorphic) to \(G\). In 1972, G. Lopez {14,15] established that finite graphs are \((\leq 6)\)-reconstructible. For \(k \in \{3,4,5\}\), the \((<k)\)-reconstructibility problem for finite graphs was studied by Y. Boudabbous and G. Lopez [1,5]. In 2006, Y. Boudabbous and C. Delhommé [4] characterized, for each \(k \geq 4\), all \((\leq k)\)-reconstructible graphs. In 1993, J. G. Hagendorf and G. Lopez showed in [12] that finite graphs are \((\leq 12)\)-half-reconstructible. After that, in 2003, J. Dammak [8] characterized the \((\leq k)\)-half-reconstructible finite graphs for every \(7 \leq k \leq 11\). In this paper, we characterize for each integer \(7 \leq k \leq 12\), all \((\leq k)\)-half-reconstructible graphs.

Jianglu Wang1, Haiyan You2
1School of Mathematical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
2School of Science, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, China
Abstract:

In this paper, we study the relations between degree sum and extending paths in graphs. The following result is proved. Let \(G\) be a graph of order \(n\), if \(d(u)+d(v) \geq n+k\) for each pair of nonadjacent vertices \(u,v\) in \(V(G)\), then every path \(P\) of \(G\) with \(\frac{n}{k+2} \leq 2 < n\) is extendable. The bound \(\frac{n}{k+2}+2\) is sharp.

Kristi Clark1, Elliot Krop2
1College of Information and Mathematical Sciences, Clayton State University
2College of Information and Mathematical Sciences, Clayton State University,
Abstract:

A median graph is a connected graph in which, for every three vertices, there exists a unique vertex \(m\) lying on the geodesic between any two of the given vertices. We show that the only median graphs of the direct product \(G \times H\) are formed when \(G = P_k\), for any integer \(k \geq 3\), and \(H = P_l\), for any integer \(l \geq 2\), with a loop at an end vertex, where the direct product is taken over all connected graphs \(G\) on at least three vertices or at least two vertices with at least one loop, and connected graphs \(H\) with at least one loop.

Tan Mingshu1
1Department of Mathematics, Chongqing Three-Gorges University, Chongqing 404000, P.R.China
Abstract:

An urn contains \(m\) distinguishable balls with \(m\) distinguishable colors. Balls are drawn for \(n\) times successively at random
and with replacement from the urn. The mathematical expectation of the number of drawn colors is investigated. Some combinatorial identities on the Stirling number of the second kind \(S(n,m)\) are derived by using probabilistic method.

M. Hashemi1
1 Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a finite group. The commutativity degree of \(G\), written \(d(G)\), is defined as the ratio \[\frac{|\{(x, y)x,y \in G, xy = yx\}|}{|G|^2}\]. In this paper, we examine the commutativity degree of groups of nilpotency class 2 and, by using numerical solutions of the equation \(xy \equiv zu \pmod{n}\), we give certain explicit formulas for some particular classes of finite groups. A lower bound for \(d(G)\) is obtained for \(2\)-generated groups of nilpotency class \(2\).