Growth: A Journal of Mathematics and Mathematics Education
ISSN: xxxx-xxxx
Growth: A Journal of Mathematics and Mathematics Education aims to provide a publication platform for high quality undergraduate research in mathematics and in mathematical pedagogy. The technical scope of the journal is combinatorial mathematics, broadly interpreted—the editorial board will consider all submissions in their areas of interest. All submitted articles must have an undergraduate research component and must be certified by a senior researcher. All submissions will be peer reviewed according to standard practices in academic mathematics. Precise editorial policies are set by the editorial board.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 132
- Pages: 49-58
- Published: 30/04/2017
Let \(D(G)\) denote the signless Dirichlet spectral radius of the graph \(G\) with at least a pendant vertex, and \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\) be two nonincreasing unicyclic graphic degree sequences with the same frequency of number \(1\). In this paper, the signless Dirichlet spectral radius of connected graphs with a given degree sequence is studied. The results are used to prove a majorization theorem of unicyclic graphs. We prove that if \(\pi_1 \unrhd \pi_2\), then \(D(G_1) \leq D(G_2)\) with equality if and only if \(\pi_1 = \pi_2\), where \(G_1\) and \(G_2\) are the graphs with the largest signless Dirichlet spectral radius among all unicyclic graphs with degree sequences \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\), respectively. Moreover, the graphs with the largest signless Dirichlet spectral radius among all unicyclic graphs with \(k\) pendant vertices are characterized.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 132
- Pages: 27-47
- Published: 30/04/2017
A function \(f\) is called a graceful labeling of a graph \(G\) with \(m\) edges, if \(f\) is an injective function from \(V(G)\) to \(\{0, 1, 2, \ldots, m\}\) such that when every edge \(uv\) is assigned the edge label \(|f(u) – f(v)|\), then the resulting edge labels are distinct. A graph which admits a graceful labeling is called a graceful graph. A graceful labeling of a graph \(G\) with \(m\) edges is called an \(\alpha\)-labeling if there exists a number \(\alpha\) such that for any edge \(uv\), \(\min\{f(u), f(v)\} \leq \lambda < \max\{f(u), f(v)\}\). The characterization of graceful graphs appears to be a very difficult problem in Graph Theory. In this paper, we prove a basic structural property of graceful graphs, that every tree is a subtree of a graceful graph, an \(\alpha\)-labeled graph, and a graceful tree, and we discuss a related open problem towards settling the popular Graceful Tree Conjecture.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 132
- Pages: 11-26
- Published: 30/04/2017
We use rook placements to prove Spivey’s Bell number formula and other identities related to it, in particular, some convolution identities involving Stirling numbers and relations involving Bell numbers. To cover as many special cases as possible, we work on the generalized Stirling numbers that arise from the rook model of Goldman and Haglund. An alternative combinatorial interpretation for the Type II generalized \(q\)-Stirling numbers of Remmel and Wachs is also introduced, in which the method used to obtain the earlier identities can be adapted easily.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- Volume 132
- Pages: 3-9
- Published: 30/04/2017
An \(H\)-triangle is a triangle with corners in the set of vertices of a tiling of \(\mathbb{R}^2\) by regular hexagons of unit edge. Let \(b(\Delta)\) be the number of the boundary \(H\)-points of an \(H\)-triangle \(\Delta\). In [3] we made a conjecture that for any \(H\)-triangle with \(k\) interior \(H\)-points, we have \(b(\Delta) \in \{3, 4, \ldots, 3k+4, 3k+5, 3k+7\}\). In this note, we prove the conjecture is true for \(k = 4\), but not true for \(k = 5\) because \(b(\Delta)\) cannot equal \(15\).
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 283-295
- Published: 28/02/2017
In this paper, we study further bounds of constant dimension codes in Grassmannian space \(\mathcal{G}_q(n,k)\). There is increasing interest in subspace codes since they are essential for error-correction in networks. Additionally, there is a connection to the theory over finite fields. By revising the specific construction methods of the constant dimension codes in [1], [2], we improve some bounds on \(q\)-ary constant dimension codes in certain cases.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 269-281
- Published: 28/02/2017
In this paper, we use a recent result of Bryant, Horsley, and Pettersson in [1] to provide an alternate and more straightforward proof of results concerning neighborhood graphs in maximum packings of \(2K_n\) with triples, some of which were only recently obtained.
To set the stage, consider any partial triple system \((V,B)\) of \(2K_n\). In this system, the neighborhood of a vertex \(v\) is defined as the subgraph induced by the set \(\{\{x,y\} \mid \{v,x,y\} \in B\}\). This concept plays a crucial role in the results initially obtained by Colbourn and Rosa for \(n \equiv 0,1 \pmod{3}\) and by Chaffee and Rodger for \(n \equiv 2 \pmod{3}\). These results offer a complete characterization of the possible neighborhoods in a maximum packing of \(2K_n\).
In both of these original papers, the authors employed difference methods—a combinatorial technique that often involves selecting pairs of elements from a group and studying their differences—and a pull-up technique, which is used to modify the neighborhood of a vertex. However, despite the effectiveness of these methods, neither approach seems to lend itself easily to deriving the results of the other.
In our paper, we present a more unified and simplified proof that brings both of these results together. By leveraging the recent findings of Bryant, Horsley, and Pettersson, we can bypass the need for the more complex difference methods and pull-up techniques, instead relying on the underlying principles elucidated in their work. This approach not only simplifies the proof process but also provides a clearer and more direct route to understanding the structure of neighborhood graphs in these maximum packings.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 255-267
- Published: 28/02/2017
Compressed sensing (CS) has broken through the traditional Nyquist sampling theory as it is a new technique in signal processing. According to CS theory, compressed sensing makes full use of sparsity so that a sparse signal can be reconstructed from very few measurements. It is well known that the construction of CS matrices is the central problem. In this paper, we provide one kind of deterministic sensing matrix by describing a combinatorial design. Then, we obtain two cases by instantiating the RIP framework with the obtained design, with the latter case being the majorization of the former. Finally, we show that our construction has better properties than DeVore’s construction using polynomials over finite fields.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 245-253
- Published: 28/02/2017
In this paper, with the help of the residue method, we find some interesting formulas relating residue and ordinary Bell polynomials, \(\hat{B}_{n,k}(x_1,x_2,\ldots)\). Further, we prove identities involving some combinatorial numbers to demonstrate the application of the formulas.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 223-244
- Published: 28/02/2017
We expand the theory of pebbling to graphs with weighted edges. In a weighted pebbling game, one player distributes a set amount of weight on the edges of a graph and his opponent chooses a target vertex and places a configuration of pebbles on the vertices. Player one wins if, through a series of pebbling moves, he can move at least one pebble to the target. A pebbling move of \(p\) pebbles across an edge with weight \(w\) leaves \(\lfloor pw \rfloor\) pebbles on the next vertex. We find the weighted pebbling numbers of stars, graphs with at least \(2|V|-1\) edges, and trees with given targets. We give an explicit formula for the minimum total weight required on the edges of a length-2 path, solvable with \(p\) pebbles, and exhibit a graph that requires an edge with weight \(1/3\) in order to achieve its weighted pebbling number.
- Research article
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 100
- Pages: 217-221
- Published: 28/02/2017
We examine two particular constructions of Costas arrays known as the Taylor variant of the Lempel construction, or the \(T_4\) construction, and the variant of the Golomb construction, or the \(G_4\) construction. We connect these with Fibonacci primitive roots, and show that under the Extended Riemann Hypothesis, the \(T_4\) and \(G_4\) constructions are valid infinitely often.




