Linear-Time Algorithms for Maximum-Weight Induced Matchings and Minimum Chain Covers in Convex Bipartite Graphs

A bipartite graph $$G=(U,V,E)$$ G = ( U , V , E ) is convex if the vertices in V can be linearly ordered such that for each vertex $$u\in U$$ u ∈ U , the neighbors of u are consecutive in the ordering of V. An induced matchingH of G is a matching for which no edge of E connects endpoints of two different edges of H. We show that in a convex bipartite graph with n vertices and mweighted edges, an induced matching of maximum total weight can be computed in $$O(n+m)$$ O ( n + m ) time. An unweighted convex bipartite graph has a representation of size O(n) that records for each vertex $$u\in U$$ u ∈ U the first and last neighbor in the ordering of V. Given such a compact representation, we compute an induced matching of maximum cardinality in O(n) time. In convex bipartite graphs, maximum-cardinality induced matchings are dual to minimum chain covers. A chain cover is a covering of the edge set by chain subgraphs, that is, subgraphs that do not contain induced matchings of more than one edge. Given a compact representation, we compute a representation of a minimum chain cover in O(n) time. If no compact representation is given, the cover can be computed in $$O(n+m)$$ O ( n + m ) time. All of our algorithms achieve optimal linear running time for the respective problem and model, and they improve and generalize the previous results in several ways: The best algorithms for the unweighted problem versions had a running time of $$O(n^2)$$ O ( n 2 ) (Brandstädt et al. in Theor. Comput. Sci. 381(1–3):260–265, 2007. 10.1016/j.tcs.2007.04.006). The weighted case has not been considered before.

Total vertex-edge domination in graphs: Complexity and algorithms

Let [Formula: see text] be a simple, undirected and connected graph. A vertex [Formula: see text] of a simple, undirected graph [Formula: see text]-dominates all edges incident to at least one vertex in its closed neighborhood [Formula: see text]. A set [Formula: see text] of vertices is a vertex-edge dominating set of [Formula: see text], if every edge of graph [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-dominated by some vertex of [Formula: see text]. A vertex-edge dominating set [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called a total vertex-edge dominating set if the induced subgraph [Formula: see text] has no isolated vertices. The total vertex-edge domination number [Formula: see text] is the minimum cardinality of a total vertex-edge dominating set of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we prove that the decision problem corresponding to [Formula: see text] is NP-complete for chordal graphs, star convex bipartite graphs, comb convex bipartite graphs and planar graphs. The problem of determining [Formula: see text] of a graph [Formula: see text] is called the minimum total vertex-edge domination problem (MTVEDP). We prove that MTVEDP is linear time solvable for chain graphs and threshold graphs. We also show that MTVEDP can be approximated within approximation ratio of [Formula: see text]. It is shown that the domination and total vertex-edge domination problems are not equivalent in computational complexity aspects. Finally, an integer linear programming formulation for MTVEDP is presented.

Complexity issues of perfect secure domination in graphs

Let G = (V, E) be a simple, undirected and connected graph. A dominating set S is called a secure dominating set if for each u ∈ V \ S, there exists v ∈ S such that (u, v) ∈ E and (S \{v}) ∪{u} is a dominating set of G. If further the vertex v ∈ S is unique, then S is called a perfect secure dominating set (PSDS). The perfect secure domination number γps(G) is the minimum cardinality of a perfect secure dominating set of G. Given a graph G and a positive integer k, the perfect secure domination (PSDOM) problem is to check whether G has a PSDS of size at most k. In this paper, we prove that PSDOM problem is NP-complete for split graphs, star convex bipartite graphs, comb convex bipartite graphs, planar graphs and dually chordal graphs. We propose a linear time algorithm to solve the PSDOM problem in caterpillar trees and also show that this problem is linear time solvable for bounded tree-width graphs and threshold graphs, a subclass of split graphs. Finally, we show that the domination and perfect secure domination problems are not equivalent in computational complexity aspects.

ON LOCALLY-BALANCED 2-PARTITIONS OF BIPARTITE GRAPHS

A \emph{$2$-partition of a graph $G$} is a function $f:V(G)\rightarrow \{0,1\}$. A $2$-partition $f$ of a graph $G$ is a \emph{locally-balanced with an open neighborhood}, if for every $v\in V(G)$, $\left\vert \vert \{u\in N_{G}(v)\colon\,f(u)=0\}\vert - \vert \{u\in N_{G}(v)\colon\,f(u)=1\}\vert \right\vert\leq 1$. A bipartite graph is \emph{$(a,b)$-biregular} if all vertices in one part have degree $a$ and all vertices in the other part have degree $b$. In this paper we prove that the problem of deciding, if a given graph has a locally-balanced $2$-partition with an open neighborhood is $NP$-complete even for $(3,8)$-biregular bipartite graphs. We also prove that a $(2,2k+1)$-biregular bipartite graph has a locally-balanced $2$-partition with an open neighbourhood if and only if it has no cycle of length $2 \pmod{4}$. Next, we prove that if $G$ is a subcubic bipartite graph that has no cycle of length $2 \pmod{4}$, then $G$ has a locally-balanced $2$-partition with an open neighbourhood. Finally, we show that all doubly convex bipartite graphs have a locally-balanced $2$-partition with an open neighbourhood.