Colorings of the Graph K ᵐ 2 + Kn

In this paper, we characterize chromatically unique, determine list-chromatic number and characterize uniquely list colorability of the graph G = Km 2 + Kn. We shall prove that G is χ-unique, ch(G) = m + n, G is uniquely 3-list colorable graph if and only if 2m + n > 7 and m > 2

Bipartite Induced Density in Triangle-Free Graphs

We prove that any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices with minimum degree at least $d$ contains a bipartite induced subgraph of minimum degree at least $d^2/(2n)$. This is sharp up to a logarithmic factor in $n$. Relatedly, we show that the fractional chromatic number of any such triangle-free graph is at most the minimum of $n/d$ and $(2+o(1))\sqrt{n/\log n}$ as $n\to\infty$. This is sharp up to constant factors. Similarly, we show that the list chromatic number of any such triangle-free graph is at most $O(\min\{\sqrt{n},(n\log n)/d\})$ as $n\to\infty$. Relatedly, we also make two conjectures. First, any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices has fractional chromatic number at most $(\sqrt{2}+o(1))\sqrt{n/\log n}$ as $n\to\infty$. Second, any triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices has list chromatic number at most $O(\sqrt{n/\log n})$ as $n\to\infty$.

On the Alon-Tarsi Number and Chromatic-Choosability of Cartesian Products of Graphs

We study the list chromatic number of Cartesian products of graphs through the Alon-Tarsi number as defined by Jensen and Toft (1995) in their seminal book on graph coloring problems. The Alon-Tarsi number of $G$, $AT(G)$, is the smallest $k$ for which there is an orientation, $D$, of $G$ with max indegree $k\!-\!1$ such that the number of even and odd circulations contained in $D$ are different. It is known that $\chi(G) \leq \chi_\ell(G) \leq \chi_p(G) \leq AT(G)$, where $\chi(G)$ is the chromatic number, $\chi_\ell(G)$ is the list chromatic number, and $\chi_p(G)$ is the paint number of $G$. In this paper we find families of graphs $G$ and $H$ such that $\chi(G \square H) = AT(G \square H)$, reducing this sequence of inequalities to equality. We show that the Alon-Tarsi number of the Cartesian product of an odd cycle and a path is always equal to 3. This result is then extended to show that if $G$ is an odd cycle or a complete graph and $H$ is a graph on at least two vertices containing the Hamilton path $w_1, w_2, \ldots, w_n$ such that for each $i$, $w_i$ has a most $k$ neighbors among $w_1, w_2, \ldots, w_{i-1}$, then $AT(G \square H) \leq \Delta(G)+k$ where $\Delta(G)$ is the maximum degree of $G$. We discuss other extensions for $G \square H$, where $G$ is such that $V(G)$ can be partitioned into odd cycles and complete graphs, and $H$ is a graph containing a Hamiltonian path. We apply these bounds to get chromatic-choosable Cartesian products, in fact we show that these families of graphs have $\chi(G) = AT(G)$, improving previously known bounds.

On $t$-Common List-Colorings

In this paper, we introduce a new variation of list-colorings. For a graph $G$ and for a given nonnegative integer $t$, a $t$-common list assignment of $G$ is a mapping $L$ which assigns each vertex $v$ a set $L(v)$ of colors such that given set of $t$ colors belong to $L(v)$ for every $v\in V(G)$. The $t$-common list chromatic number of $G$ denoted by $ch_t(G)$ is defined as the minimum positive integer $k$ such that there exists an $L$-coloring of $G$ for every $t$-common list assignment $L$ of $G$, satisfying $|L(v)| \ge k$ for every vertex $v\in V(G)$. We show that for all positive integers $k, \ell$ with $2 \le k \le \ell$ and for any positive integers $i_1 , i_2, \ldots, i_{k-2}$ with $k \le i_{k-2} \le \cdots \le i_1 \le \ell$, there exists a graph $G$ such that $\chi(G)= k$, $ch(G) = \ell$ and $ch_t(G) = i_t$ for every $t=1, \ldots, k-2$. Moreover, we consider the $t$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs. From the four color theorem and the result of Thomassen (1994), for any $t=1$ or $2$, the sharp upper bound of $t$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs is $4$ or $5$. Our first step on $t$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs is to find such a sharp upper bound. By constructing a planar graph $G$ such that $ch_1(G) =5$, we show that the sharp upper bound for $1$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs is $5$. The sharp upper bound of $2$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs is still open. We also suggest several questions related to $t$-common list chromatic number of planar graphs.

Painting Squares in $\Delta^2-1$ Shades

Cranston and Kim conjectured that if $G$ is a connected graph with maximum degree $\Delta$ and $G$ is not a Moore Graph, then $\chi_{\ell}(G^2)\le \Delta^2-1$; here $\chi_{\ell}$ is the list chromatic number. We prove their conjecture; in fact, we show that this upper bound holds even for online list chromatic number.

Bipartite Graphs whose Squares are not Chromatic-Choosable

The square $G^2$ of a graph $G$ is the graph defined on $V(G)$ such that two vertices $u$ and $v$ are adjacent in $G^2$ if the distance between $u$ and $v$ in $G$ is at most 2. Let $\chi(H)$ and $\chi_{\ell}(H)$ be the chromatic number and the list chromatic number of $H$, respectively. A graph $H$ is called chromatic-choosable if $\chi_{\ell} (H) = \chi(H)$. It is an interesting problem to find graphs that are chromatic-choosable.Motivated by the List Total Coloring Conjecture, Kostochka and Woodall (2001) proposed the List Square Coloring Conjecture which states that $G^2$ is chromatic-choosable for every graph $G$. Recently, Kim and Park showed that the List Square Coloring Conjecture does not hold in general by finding a family of graphs whose squares are complete multipartite graphs and are not chromatic choosable. It is a well-known fact that the List Total Coloring Conjecture is true if the List Square Coloring Conjecture holds for special class of bipartite graphs. Hence a natural question is whether $G^2$ is chromatic-choosable or not for every bipartite graph $G$.In this paper, we give a bipartite graph $G$ such that $\chi_{\ell} (G^2) \neq \chi(G^2)$. Moreover, we show that the value $\chi_{\ell}(G^2) - \chi(G^2)$ can be arbitrarily large.