Utilitas Algorithmica (UA)
ISSN: xxxx-xxxx (print)
Utilitas Algorithmica (UA) is a premier, open-access international journal dedicated to advancing algorithmic research and its applications. Launched to drive innovation in computer science, UA publishes high-impact theoretical and experimental papers addressing real-world computational challenges. The journal underscores the vital role of efficient algorithm design in navigating the growing complexity of modern applications. Spanning domains such as parallel computing, computational geometry, artificial intelligence, and data structures, UA is a leading venue for groundbreaking algorithmic studies.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/um128-04
- Full Text
- Utilitas Mathematica
- volume 128
- Pages: 67-90
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
Let \(G\) be a graph of a network system with vertices, \(V(G)\), representing physical locations and edges, \(E(G)\), representing informational connectivity. A locating-dominating (LD) set \(S \subseteq V(G)\) is a subset of vertices representing detectors capable of sensing an “intruder” at precisely their location or at some unknown point in their open-neighborhood. An LD set must be capable of locating an intruder anywhere in the graph using this collection of detectors. We explore three types of fault-tolerant LD sets: redundant LD sets, which allow at most one detector to be removed or disabled, error-detecting LD sets, which allow at most one false negative, and error-correcting LD sets, which allow at most one error (false positive or false negative). In particular, we determine lower and upper bounds for the minimum density of these three fault-tolerant locating-dominating sets in the infinite king grid.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/um128-03
- Full Text
- Utilitas Mathematica
- volume 128
- Pages: 51-66
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
Several necessary properties of König–Egerváry graphs involving the core, the corona, and critical independent sets are by now part of the folklore of the theory, and have motivated different lines of research within the same framework. In particular, every König–Egerváry graph satisfies the core–corona identity \(|core(G)|+|corona(G)|=2\alpha(G),\) the covering relation \(corona(G)cup N(core(G))=V(G),\) and the fact that \(core(G)\) is a critical independent set. Each of these conditions captures a different aspect of the interaction between maximum independent sets and matchings, but none of them alone characterizes the König–Egerváry property. In this note we show that their conjunction does: a graph \(G\) is König–Egerváry if and only if the above two core–corona conditions hold and \(core(G)\) is critical. Equivalently, the class of König–Egerváry graphs is precisely the intersection of the three graph families determined by these conditions. We also provide examples showing that the characterization is sharp: any two of the three conditions may hold in a graph which is not König–Egerváry.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/um128-02
- Full Text
- Utilitas Mathematica
- volume 128
- Pages: 33-49
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
Let \(\alpha(G)\), \(\mu(G)\) and prk\((G)\) denote the independence number, the matching number and the permanental rank of \(G\), respectively. Here prk\((G)\) is the maximum order of a principal submatrix with nonzero permanent of the adjacency matrix of \(G\). Let \(d(G)=\max_{S\subseteq V(G)}\{|S|-|N(S)|\}\) be the critical difference of \(G\). Let core\((G)\) and ker\((G)\) be the intersection of all maximum independent sets and all critical independent sets, respectively. In this note we use Larson’s critical independence decomposition to split the graph into two induced subgraphs, \(L_G\) and \(L_G^c\), where \(L_G\) is Kőnig–Egerváry and \(L_G^c\) is 2-bicritical. We prove that for every graph \(G\) one has \(\alpha(G)-\mu(G) = |L_G|-prk(L_G)+\alpha(L_G^c)-\mu(L_G^c) = d(L_G)+\alpha(L_G^c)-\mu(L_G^c).\) Moreover, we show that \(\alpha(L_G^c)\le \mu(L_G^c)\) and establish the refined kernel bound \(d(L_G)+k\le |ker(G)|,\) where \(k\) is the number of nontrivial connected components of \(L_G\) without a perfect matching. Consequently, \(\alpha(G)-\mu(G)+k\le |ker(G)|.\) In particular, when \(\alpha(G)>\mu(G)\), one has \(|L_G|>prk(L_G)\). The bound is sharp for every prescribed value of \(k\). Since ker\((G)\subseteq core(G)\) for every graph, we recover as a consequence the known Boros–Golumbic–Levit inequality \(\alpha(G)-\mu(G)+1\le |core(G)|\) for connected graphs with at least two vertices and \(\alpha(G)>\mu(G)\). This result improves on related results by Hammer et al. (1982) and by Levit and Mandrescu (1999).
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/um128-01
- Full Text
- Utilitas Mathematica
- volume 128
- Pages: 3-31
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
A pair of letters \(x\) and \(y\) are said to alternate in a word \(w\) if, after removing all letters except for the copies of \(x\) and \(y\) from \(w\), the resulting word is of the form \(xyxy\ldots\) (of even or odd length) or \(yxyx\ldots\) (of even or odd length). A graph \(G = (V(G), E(G))\) is word-representable if there exists a word \(w\) over the alphabet \(V(G)\) such that two distinct vertices \(x, y \in V(G)\) are adjacent in \(G\) (i.e., \(xy \in E(G)\)) if and only if the letters \(x\) and \(y\) alternate in \(w\). A split graph is a graph in which the vertices can be partitioned into a clique and an independent set. Word-representability of split graphs has been studied in a series of papers in recent years. Partial progress has been made in characterizing word-representable split graphs through minimal forbidden induced subgraphs, but a complete classification remains open. In this work, we study a specific subclass: split graphs with an independent set of size four, and we provide a minimal forbidden induced subgraph characterization of word-representable graphs in this class as a step towards addressing the broader classification problem. The subclass we study also corresponds to an open problem posed by Kitaev and Pyatkin. In addition, we outline possible approaches and proof strategies that may lead to a complete characterization of word-representable split graphs.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/jcmcc131-19
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 131
- Pages: 409-427
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
A \(2\)-factored dominating set (\(2\)fd-set) of a graph \(G=(V,E)\) is a dominating set \(F\subseteq V\) such that the induced subgraph \(G[F]\) is \(2\)-regular, and hence is a disjoint union of cycles. In this study, \(2\)-factored dominating sets on fixed-width grid graphs of dimensions \(m \times n\), where \(m \in \{2,3,4\}\), are enumerated. We establish theorems describing the generating functions with respect to the number of \(2\)-factored dominating sets in these grid graphs. The number of \(2\)-factored dominating sets grows exponentially with \(n\), with growth constant determined by the dominant singularity of the generating function.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/jcmcc131-18
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 131
- Pages: 373-408
- Published Online: 22/07/2026
A Boolean network maps Boolean configurations of fixed length to themselves. A trapspace is an invariant subcube; a principal trapspace is the smallest trapspace containing a configuration, while a minimal trapspace contains no proper trapspace. Commutative Boolean networks are those whose local updates commute. We connect these concepts through five contributions. First, we introduce trapping graphs and trapping closures, define trapping networks by transitivity of their general asynchronous graphs, and prove that they are exactly the trapping closures. Second, we show that two Boolean networks have the same collections of principal trapspaces if and only if they have the same trapping closure. Hence, trapping networks provide a normal form for trapspace analysis. We also characterize the possible collections of principal and minimal trapspaces. Third, we prove that commutative networks are trapping and classify their principal trapspaces. Fourth, we study bijective commutative networks, called Marseille networks, and give equivalent characterizations and classifications. Fifth, we study idempotent commutative networks, called Lille networks, relate them to globally idempotent networks, prove that globally idempotent networks are trapping, and provide equivalent characterizations. These results clarify the relationships among asynchronous, general asynchronous, and trapping graphs and describe the structure of trapping networks.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/ars168-01
- Full Text
- Ars Combinatoria
- volume 168
- Pages: 3-16
- Published Online: 21/07/2026
In this paper, we prove that if a graph does not contain any cycle of length greater than \(4\), then the square of its line graph is perfect. As an application, we give a concise proof of a known result: the strong chromatic index of a bipartite graph that does not contain any cycle of length greater than \(4\) is at most \(\Delta^2\), where \(\Delta\) represents the maximum degree of the graph. This latter result provides a partial affirmative answer to some known conjectures on upper bounds for the strong chromatic index of graphs.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/jcmcc131-17
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 131
- Pages: 353-371
- Published Online: 20/07/2026
The Ramsey number \(R(G)\) of a graph \(G\) without isolated vertices is the minimum positive integer \(n\) such that for every red-blue coloring of the complete graph \(K_n\) of order \(n\), there is a subgraph isomorphic to \(G\) all of whose edges are colored the same (a monochromatic \(G\)). A Ramsey chain in a graph \(G\) with a red-blue coloring is a sequence \(G_1\), \(G_2\), \(\ldots\), \(G_{k}\) of pairwise edge-disjoint monochromatic subgraphs of \(G\) such that \(G_i\) has \(i\) edges for \(1 \le i \le k\) and \(G_i\) is isomorphic to a subgraph of \(G_{i+1}\) for \(1 \le i \le k-1\). The subgraphs in a Ramsey chain are the links of the chain and the terminal subgraph \(G_k\) is the target link of the chain. A graph \(H\) without isolated vertices is called a target graph if there exists a positive integer \(n\) such that every red-blue coloring of \(K_n\) results in a Ramsey chain with target link \(H\). The target Ramsey number \(TR(H)\) of \(H\) is the minimum positive integer \(n\) such that every red-blue coloring of \(K_n\) results in a Ramsey chain with target link \(H\). The target Ramsey number \(TR(s)\) of a Ramsey chain \(s\) is the minimum positive integer \(n\) such that \(s\) is a Ramsey chain in every red-blue coloring of \(K_{n}\). We investigate graphs \(H\) with the property that \(TR(s) =TR(H)= R(H)\) for every Ramsey chain \(s\) with target link \(H\). It is shown that every graph \(H\) with relatively small size has this property. Other results and open questions are also presented.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/jcmcc131-16
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 131
- Pages: 339-352
- Published Online: 20/07/2026
The sum graph \(G^{+}(S)\) of a finite subset \(S\subset \mathbb{N}\)={1,2,3,…} is the graph (V,E) where V=S and \(uv\in\)E if and only if \(u+v\in\) S. This concept was introduced by Harary [9], where some basic properties of the family of all sum graphs were presented. In [10], Harary extended this definition into an integral sum graph and proposed some open problems. Motivated by these definitions, we introduce a graph called perfect difference graph. We investigate the properties of this family of graphs.
- Research article
- https://doi.org/10.61091/jcmcc131-15
- Full Text
- Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing
- Volume 131
- Pages: 301-337
- Published Online: 20/07/2026
We study the Equivalent Local Sequence Problem (ELSP) for simple undirected graphs using Bouchet’s isotropic-system formalism and normal matrices over \(\mathbb F_2\). Although Bouchet’s theory characterizes graph local equivalence in polynomial time, converting normal-matrix certificates into explicit graph transformations remains challenging. We introduce the Normal-Matrix Factorization Problem (NMFP), which asks whether a normal-matrix witness of local equivalence has a graph-compatible factorization into elementary transformations. Whenever such a factorization exists, an explicit local-complementation sequence can be recovered in polynomial time. Thus, the constructive part of ELSP reduces to NMFP, identifying normal-matrix factorization as its main unresolved algebraic difficulty. We apply this framework to undirected Paley graphs. In contrast to the directed case, whose local-complementation dynamics are abelian and admit linear inversion, the undirected case is noncommutative and has a more intricate stabilizer structure. Using normal matrices, we analyze Paley-graph orbits and stabilizers, derive algebraic constraints on stabilizing transformations, and completely verify the first undirected Paley graph \(P_5\). These results establish NMFP as central to constructive local equivalence and reveal connections among isotropic systems, graph transformations, and algebraic stabilizers.




