Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics Commons^™

Triangle Packing On Tripartite Graphs Is Hard, Peter A. Bradshaw

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

The problem of finding a maximum matching on a bipartite graph is well-understood and can be solved using the augmenting path algorithm. However, the similar problem of finding a large set of vertex-disjoint triangles on tripartite graphs has not received much attention. In this paper, we define a set of vertex-disjoint triangles as a “tratching.” The problem of finding a tratching that covers all vertices of a tripartite graph can be shown to be NP-complete using a reduction from the three-dimensional matching problem. In this paper, however, we introduce a new construction that allows us to emulate Boolean circuits using …

Graphs, Random Walks, And The Tower Of Hanoi, Stephanie Egler

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

The Tower of Hanoi puzzle with its disks and poles is familiar to students in mathematics and computing. Typically used as a classroom example of the important phenomenon of recursion, the puzzle has also been intensively studied its own right, using graph theory, probability, and other tools. The subject of this paper is “Hanoi graphs”, that is, graphs that portray all the possible arrangements of the puzzle, together with all the possible moves from one arrangement to another. These graphs are not only fascinating in their own right, but they shed considerable light on the nature of the puzzle itself. …

Asymptotically Optimal Bounds For (𝑡,2) Broadcast Domination On Finite Grids, Timothy W. Randolph

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

Let G = (V,E) be a graph and t,r be positive integers. The signal that a tower vertex T of signal strength t supplies to a vertex v is defined as sig(T, v) = max(t − dist(T,v),0), where dist(T,v) denotes the distance between the vertices v and T. In 2015 Blessing, Insko, Johnson, and Mauretour defined a (t, r) broadcast dominating set, or simply a (t, r) broadcast, on G as a set T ⊆ V such that the sum of all signal received at each vertex v ∈ V from the set of towers T …

A Generalized Newton-Girard Identity, Tanay Wakhare

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

We present a generalization of the Newton-Girard identities, along with some applications. As an addendum, we collect many evaluations of symmetric polynomials to which these identities apply.

Dissertation_Davis.Pdf, Brian Davis

brian davis

The Knill Graph Dimension From The Minimum Clique Cover, Kassahun Betre, Evatt Salinger

Faculty Publications

In this paper we prove that the recursive (Knill) dimension of the join of two graphs has a simple formula in terms of the dimensions of the component graphs: dim(G1+G2)=1+dimG1+dimG2. We use this formula to derive an expression for the Knill dimension of a graph from its minimum clique cover. A corollary of the formula is that a graph made of the arbitrary union of complete graphs KN of the same order N will have dimension N−1. We finish by finding lower and upper bounds on the Knill dimension of a graph in terms of its clique number.

Two-Pebbling And Odd-Two-Pebbling Are Not Equivalent, Charles A. Cusack, Airat Bekmetjev, Mark Powers

Faculty Publications

Let G be a connected graph. A configuration of pebbles assigns a nonnegative integer number of pebbles to each vertex of G. A move consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. A configuration is solvable if any vertex can get at least one pebble through a sequence of moves. The pebbling number of G, denoted π(G), is the smallest integer such that any configuration of π(G) pebbles on G is solvable. A graph has the two-pebbling property if after placing more than 2π(G) -- q pebbles on G …

Singular Ramsey And Turán Numbers, Yair Caro, Zsolt Tuza

Theory and Applications of Graphs

We say that a subgraph F of a graph G is singular if the degrees d_G(v) are all equal or all distinct for the vertices v ∈ V (F). The singular Ramsey number Rs(F) is the smallest positive integer n such that, for every m at least n, in every edge 2-coloring of K_m, at least one of the color classes contains F as a singular subgraph. In a similar flavor, the singular Turán number Ts(n,F) is defined as the maximum number of edges in a graph of order n, …

Analysis Of Feast Spectral Approximations Using The Dpg Discretization, Jay Gopalakrishnan, Luka Grubišić, Jeffrey S. Ovall, Benjamin Quanah Parker

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

A filtered subspace iteration for computing a cluster of eigenvalues and its accompanying eigenspace, known as “FEAST”, has gained considerable attention in recent years. This work studies issues that arise when FEAST is applied to compute part of the spectrum of an unbounded partial differential operator. Specifically, when the resolvent of the partial differential operator is approximated by the discontinuous Petrov Galerkin (DPG) method, it is shown that there is no spectral pollution. The theory also provides bounds on the discretization errors in the spectral approximations. Numerical experiments for simple operators illustrate the theory and also indicate the value of …

Computing Homology Of Hypergraphs, Jackson Earl

STAR Program Research Presentations

In the modern age of data science, the necessity for efficient and insightful analytical tools that enable us to interpret large data structures inherently presents itself. With the increasing utility of metrics offered by the mathematics of hypergraph theory and algebraic topology, we are able to explore multi-way relational datasets and actively develop such tools. Throughout this research endeavor, one of the primary goals has been to contribute to the development of computational algorithms pertaining to the homology of hypergraphs. More specifically, coding in python to compute the homology groups of a given hypergraph, as well as their Betti numbers …

Lattice Simplices: Sufficiently Complicated, Brian Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Simplices are the "simplest" examples of polytopes, and yet they exhibit much of the rich and subtle combinatorics and commutative algebra of their more general cousins. In this way they are sufficiently complicated --- insights gained from their study can inform broader research in Ehrhart theory and associated fields.

In this dissertation we consider two previously unstudied properties of lattice simplices; one algebraic and one combinatorial. The first is the Poincar\'e series of the associated semigroup algebra, which is substantially more complicated than the Hilbert series of that same algebra. The second is the partial ordering of the elements of …

On Monochromatic Sets With Nondecreasing Diameter, Adam O’Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Our problem comes from the field of combinatorics known as Ramsey theory. Ramsey theory, in a general sense, is about identifying the threshold for which a family of objects, associated with a particular parameter, goes from never or sometimes satisfying a certain property to always satisfying that property. Research in Ramsey theory has applications in design theory and coding theory. For integers m, r, and t, we say that a set of n integers colored with r colors is (m, r, t)-permissible if there exist t monochromatic subsets B₁, B₂, . . . , B_{t …}

On The Existence Of Partitioned Incomplete Latin Squares With Five Parts, Jaromy Kuhl, Donald Mcginn, Michael W. Schroeder

Mathematics Faculty Research

Let a, b, c, d, e be positive integers such that a ≤ b ≤ c ≤ d ≤ e. Heinrich showed the existence of a partitioned incomplete Latin square (PILS) of type (a, b, c) and (a, b, c, d) if and only if a = b = c and 2a ≥ d. For PILS of type (a,b,c,d,e), it is necessary that a + b + c ≥ e, but not sufficient, and no characterization is currently known. In this talk we provide an additional …

Modeling Stochastically Intransitive Relationships In Paired Comparison Data, Ryan Patrick Alexander Mcshane

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

If the Warriors beat the Rockets and the Rockets beat the Spurs, does that mean that the Warriors are better than the Spurs? Sophisticated fans would argue that the Warriors are better by the transitive property, but could Spurs fans make a legitimate argument that their team is better despite this chain of evidence?

We first explore the nature of intransitive (rock-scissors-paper) relationships with a graph theoretic approach to the method of paired comparisons framework popularized by Kendall and Smith (1940). Then, we focus on the setting where all pairs of items, teams, players, or objects have been compared to …

Bounding The Number Of Compatible Simplices In Higher Dimensional Tournaments, Karthik Chandrasekhar

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

A tournament graph G is a vertex set V of size n, together with a directed edge set E ⊂ V × V such that (i, j) ∈ E if and only if (j, i) ∉ E for all distinct i, j ∈ V and (i, i) ∉ E for all i ∈ V. We explore the following generalization: For a fixed k we orient every k-subset of V by assigning it an orientation. That is, every facet of the (k − 1)-skeleton of the ( …

Revisiting The Isoperimetric Graph Partitioning Problem, Sravan Danda, Aditya Challa, B. S. Daya Sagar, Laurent Najman

Journal Articles

Isoperimetric graph partitioning, which is also known as the Cheeger cut, is NP-hard in its original form. In the literature, multiple modifications to this problem have been proposed to obtain approximation algorithms for clustering applications. In the context of image segmentation, a heuristic continuous relaxation to this problem introduced by Leo Grady and Eric L. Schwartz has yielded good quality results. This algorithm is based on solving a linear system of equations involving the Laplacian of the image graph. Furthermore, the same algorithm applied to a maximum spanning tree (MST) of the image graph was shown to produce similar results …

Some Results On Partial Difference Sets And Partial Geometries, Eric J. Neubert Jr

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis shows results on 3 different problems involving partial difference sets (PDS) in abelian groups, and uses PDS to study partial geometries with an abelian Singer group. First, the last two undetermined cases of PDS on abelian groups with k ≤ 100, both of order 216, were shown not to exist. Second, new parameter bounds for k and ∆ were found for PDS on abelian groups of order p^n , p an odd prime, n odd. A parameter search on p^5 in particular was conducted, and only 5 possible such cases remain for p < 250. Lastly, the existence of rigid type partial geometries with an abelian Singer group are examined; existence is left undetermined for 11 cases with α ≤ 200. This final study led to the determination of nonexistence for an infinite class of cases which impose a negative Latin type PDS.

Squared Distance Matrix Of A Weighted Tree, Ravindra B. Bapat

Journal Articles

Let T be a tree with vertex set f1;: :: ; ng such that each edge is assigned a nonzero weight. The squared distance matrix of T; denoted by is the n n matrix with (i; j)-element d(i; j)2; where d(i; j) is the sum of the weights of the edges on the (ij)-path. We obtain a formula for the determinant of A formula for 1 is also obtained, under certain conditions. The results generalize known formulas for the unweighted case.

Edge Colorings Of Graphs On Surfaces And Star Edge Colorings Of Sparse Graphs, Katherine M. Horacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In my dissertation, I present results on two types of edge coloring problems for graphs.

For each surface Σ, we define ∆(Σ) = max{∆(G)| G is a class two graph with maximum degree ∆(G) that can be embedded in Σ}. Hence Vizing’s Planar Graph Conjecture can be restated as ∆(Σ) = 5 if Σ is a sphere. For a surface Σ with characteristic χ(Σ) ≤ 0, it is known ∆(Σ) ≥ H(χ(Σ))−1, where H(χ(Σ)) is the Heawood number of the surface, and if the Euler char- acteristic χ(Σ) ∈ {−7, −6, . . . , −1, 0}, ∆(Σ) is already …

Infinite Matroids And Transfinite Sequences, Martin Andrew Storm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A matroid is a pair M = (E,I) where E is a set and I is a set of subsets of E that are called independent, echoing the notion of linear independence. One of the leading open problems in infinite matroid theory is the Matroid Intersection Conjecture by Nash-Williams which is a generalization of Hall’s Theorem. In [31] Jerzy Wojciechowski introduced µ- admissibility for pairs of matroids on the same ground set and showed that it is a necessary condition for the existence of a matching. A pair of matroids (M,W) with common ground set E is µ-admissible if a …