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Utilitas Mathematica

ISSN: 0315-3681 (print)

Utilitas Mathematica is a historical journal in statistical designs and combinatorial mathematics, established in 1972. Over more than five decades, it has provided a respected platform for high-quality research contributions, earning strong recognition in the global mathematical community.
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, Utilitas Mathematica publishes four issues annually—in March, June, September, and December.
Scope: Publishes research in statistical designs and all areas of combinatorics, including graph theory, design theory, extremal combinatorics, enumeration, algebraic combinatorics, combinatorial optimization, discrete geometry, convex geometry, Ramsey theory, coding theory, automorphism groups, finite geometries, and chemical graph theory.
Indexing & Abstracting: The journal is indexed in MathSciNet, Zentralblatt MATH, and EBSCO, ensuring visibility and accessibility for the international mathematics community.
Rapid Publication: Submissions are reviewed efficiently, with accepted papers scheduled for prompt publication in the upcoming issue.
Print & Online Editions: Issues are published in both print and online formats to serve a wide range of readers.

Mikio Kano1, Haruhide Matsuda2, Hajime Matsumura3
1Ibaraki University, Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan
2College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Saitama, Japan
3College of Education, Ibaraki University, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
Abstract:

We say that a graph \(G\) has a path-system with respect to a set \(W\) of even number of vertices in \(G\) if \(G\) has vertex-disjoint paths \(P_1,P_2, \ldots, P_m\) such that (i) each path \(P_i\) connects two vertices of \(W\) and (ii) the set of end-vertices of the paths \(P_i\) is exactly \(W\). In particular, \(m=|W|/2\). Moreover, if \(G\) has a path-system with respect to every set \(W\) of even number of vertices in \(G\), we say that \(G\) has a path system. We prove the following theorems: (i) if \(G\) is an \(r\)-edge-connected \(r\)-regular graph, then for any \(r-1\) edges \(e_1,\ldots, e_{r-1}\), \(G-\{e_1,\ldots, e_{r-1}\}\) has a path-system, (ii) every \(k\)-connected \(K_{1,k+1}\)-free graph has a path-system, and (iii) if a connected bipartite graph \(G\) with bipartition \((A,B)\) satisfies \(|A| \le 2|B|\), \(|N_G(X)| \ge 2|X|\) or \(N_G(X)=B\) for all \(X\subseteq A\), and \(|N_G(Y)| \ge |Y|\) or \(N_G(Y)=A\) for all \(Y\subseteq B\), then \(G\) has a path-system with respect to every set \(W\) of even number of vertices of \(A\).

Wilma L. D’Souza1, V. Chaitra2
1Department of Mathematics, St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru-560027, India
2Department of Mathematics, B.M.S. College of Enigineering, Bengaluru-560019, India
Abstract:

For a graph \(G\), an Italian dominating function (IDF) is a function \(f: V(G) \rightarrow \{0,1,2\}\) such that all vertices labeled with 0 must have at least two neighbors assigned the label 1 or at least one neighbor assigned the label 2. The weight of \(f\), denoted by \(w(f)\), is calculated by summing all the labels assigned by the function. Let \(f\) be an IDF on \(G\) with a minimum weight, denoted as \(\gamma_I(G)\). If \(S\) is the set of vertices where \(f(v) > 0\), then an Inverse Italian Dominating Function (IIDF) \(f'\) is defined as an IDF on \(G\) such that \(f'(v) = 0\) for all \(v \in S\). The notation \(\gamma_{iI}(G)\) represents the Inverse Italian Domination Number of the graph \(G\), which is the minimum weight among all IIDFs on \(G\). In this paper, we find \(\gamma_{iI}(G)\) of graphs and characterize the graphs for which \(\gamma_I(G) = 2\) and \(3\), as well as those with \(\gamma_{iI}(G) = 2\) and \(3\). Additionally, we provide a characterization of trees and graphs that achieve the largest possible \(\gamma_{iI}(G)\).

Terry A. McKee1
1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 USA
Abstract:

The strongly chordal graph literature has recently expanded to include the sequentially smaller classes of \(s\)-strongly chordal graphs for \(s = 1, 2, 3,\ldots\) (and the limiting class of majorly chordal graphs). These stronger classes preserve — while simultaneously intensifying —  the conventional chords-of-cycles inspiration of chordal graph theory. This leads to characterizing corresponding \(s\)-strongly chordal bipartite graphs and majorly chordal bipartite graphs. Our new analysis does this by using chains of quadrangles, with each adjacent pair of quadrangles having a unique edge in common. This leads to constructive characterizations that exploit a somewhat unexpected resemblance to earlier characterizations of \(s\)-strongly chordal graphs involving chains of triangles sharing common edges to characterize \(s\)-strongly chordal tripartite (and, similarly, multipartite) graphs.

Elahe Mehraban1,2, Omur Deveci3, Evren Hincal1,2,4
1Mathematics Research Center, Near East University TRNC, Mersin 10, 99138 Nicosia, Turkey
2Department of Mathematics, Near East University TRNC, Mersin 10, 99138 Nicosia, Turkey
3Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Letters, Kafkas University 36100, Turkey
4Research Center of Applied Mathematics, Khazar University, Baku, Azerbaijan
Abstract:

In this paper, we present a method for constructing a new sequence, which we call \(k-\)division sequence and denoted by \(h_n(k)\). Using Fibonacci and Pell sequences, we define the \(k-\)division Fibonacci-Pell sequence obtain its properties, and prove that this sequence is periodic. Then, as an application of the sequence, we define \(1-\)division Fibonacci-Pell sequence on finite groups and study it in the groups \(G_m\) and \(H_{(u,l,m)}\) groups.

Lukas Dijkstra1, Andrei Gagarin1, Vadim Zverovich2
1School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
2Mathematics and Statistics Research Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Abstract:

We consider the minimum weight and smallest weight minimum-size dominating set problems in vertex-weighted graphs and networks. The latter problem is a two-objective optimization problem, which is different from the classic minimum weight dominating set problem that requires finding a dominating set of the smallest weight in a graph without trying to optimize its cardinality. In other words, the objective of minimizing the size of the dominating set in the two-objective problem can be considered as a constraint, i.e. a particular case of finding Pareto-optimal solutions. First, we show how to reduce the two-objective optimization problem to the minimum weight dominating set problem by using Integer Linear Programming formulations. Then, under different assumptions, the probabilistic method is applied to obtain upper bounds on the minimum weight dominating sets in graphs. The corresponding randomized algorithms for finding small-weight dominating sets in graphs are described as well. Computational experiments are used to illustrate the results for two different types of random graphs.

Miaodi Xu1, Min Chen1
1School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Abstract:

Let \(G\) be a plane graph. If two edges are adjacent and consecutive on the boundary walk of a face of \(G\), then they are said to be facially adjacent. We call \(G\) facially entire \(k\)-colorable if there is a mapping from \(V(G)\cup E(G)\cup F(G)\) to a \(k\) color set so that any two facially adjacent edges, adjacent vertices, adjacent faces, and incident elements receive different colors. The facial entire chromatic number of \(G\) is defined to be the smallest integer \(k\) such that \(G\) is facially entire \(k\)-colorable. In 2016, Fabrici, Jendrol’ and Vrbjarová conjectured that every connected, loopless, bridgeless plane graph is facially entire \(7\)-colorable. In this paper, we give a positive answer to this conjecture for \(K_4\)-minor-free graphs. More specifically, we shall prove that every \(K_{4}\)-minor-free graph is facially entire \(7\)-colorable.

Sergiy Kozerenko1
1Computer Science Department, Kyiv School of Economics, Mykoly Shpaka str. 3, 03113 Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract:

The Markov graph of a self-map on a combinatorial tree is a directed graph that encodes the covering relations between edges of the tree under the map. This work explores the dynamical structure of self-maps on trees with weakly connected Markov graphs. The main result of the paper is a complete characterization of self-maps on finite sets that yield weakly connected Markov graphs for all trees. Additionally, we describe the dynamical structure of self-maps whose Markov graphs take specific forms, including complete digraphs, cycles, paths, in-stars, and out-stars.

Edy T. Baskoro1, Cristina Dalfó2, Miquel Àngel Fiol3, Rinovia Simanjuntak1
1Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
2Departament de Matemàtica, Universitat de Lleida, Igualada (Barcelona), Catalonia
3Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Graduate School, Institut de Matemàtiques de la UPC-BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Catalonia
Abstract:

In this paper, we construct two infinite families of graphs \(G(d,c)\) and \(G^+(d,c)\), where, in both cases, a vertex label is \(x_1x_2\ldots x_c\) with \(x_i\in\{1,2,\ldots, d\}\). We provide a tight lower bound on the metric dimension of \(G^+(d, c)\). Moreover, we give the definition and properties of the supertoken graphs, a generalization of the well-known token graphs. Finally, we provide an upper bound on the metric dimension of supertoken graphs.

V. Ramanathan1, K. Selvakumar2, C. Selvaraj1, T. Tamizh Chelvam2
1Department of Mathematics, Periyar University, Salem 636011, Tamil Nadu, India
2Department of Mathematics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli 627012, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract:

Let \(A\) be a commutative ring with nonzero identity and \(n\geq 2\) be a positive integer. With the ring \(R=A\times\cdots\times A\) (\(n\) times), one can associate graphs \(TD(R)\) and \(ZD(R)\) respectively called the total dot product graph and the zero-divisor dot product graph of \(R\). In this paper, we study some topological properties of these two dot product graphs of \(R.\) In particular, it is shown that, the zero-divisor dot product graph \(ZD(R)\) is a projective graph if and only if \(R\) is isomorphic to \(\frac{Z_2\left[x\right]}{\left\langle x^2+x+1\right\rangle}\times\frac{Z_2\left[x\right]}{\left\langle x^2+x+1\right\rangle}.\) Moreover, we prove that no total dot product graph can be projective. With these observations, we classify all commutative rings for which dot product graphs \(ZD(R)\) and \(TD(R)\) have crosscap two.

Shyam Saurabh1
1Department of Mathematics, Tata College, Kolhan University, Chaibasa, India
Abstract:

Some methods of decomposing \(v(=mn)\times b\) incidence matrix of regular group divisible (RGD) designs into square submatrices of order \(m\) are described. Such designs are known as tactical decomposable designs. As a by–product, resolvable solutions of some RGD designs are obtained. A relationship between tactical decomposable designs and \(\left(2,\ n\right)-\)threshold schemes is also given.

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Call for papers

Special issue: Dynamical systems and differential equations in applied sciences

Guest editors: Renhai Wang, Mirelson Martins Freitas, Nguyen Anh Tuan.
Submission deadline: 03 January 2026

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