A set of vertices X of a graph G is convex if it contains all vertices on shortest paths between vertices of X. We prove that for fixed p, all partitions of the vertex set of a bipartite graph into p convex sets can be found in polynomial time.
We show that for any $2$-local colouring of the edges of the balanced complete bipartite graph $K_{n,n}$, its vertices can be covered with at most~$3$ disjoint monochromatic paths. And, we can cover almost all vertices of any complete or balanced com
plete bipartite $r$-locally coloured graph with $O(r^2)$ disjoint monochromatic cycles. We also determine the $2$-local bipartite Ramsey number of a path almost exactly: Every $2$-local colouring of the edges of $K_{n,n}$ contains a monochromatic path on $n$ vertices.
Szemeredis Regularity Lemma is a very useful tool of extremal combinatorics. Recently, several refinements of this seminal result were obtained for special, more structured classes of graphs. We survey these results in their rich combinatorial contex
t. In particular, we stress the link to the theory of (structural) sparsity, which leads to alternative proofs, refinements and solutions of open problems. It is interesting to note that many of these classes present challenging problems. Nevertheless, from the point of view of regularity lemma type statements, they appear as gentle classes.
Let k, p, q be positive integers with k < p < q+1. We prove that the maximum spectral radius of a simple bipartite graph obtained from the complete bipartite graph Kp,q of bipartition orders p and q by deleting k edges is attained when the deleting e
dges are all incident on a common vertex which is located in the partite set of order q. Our method is based on new sharp upper bounds on the spectral radius of bipartite graphs in terms of their degree sequences.
A star $k$-coloring is a proper $k$-coloring where the union of two color classes induces a star forest. While every planar graph is 4-colorable, not every planar graph is star 4-colorable. One method to produce a star 4-coloring is to partition the
vertex set into a 2-independent set and a forest; such a partition is called an I,F-partition. We use a combination of potential functions and discharging to prove that every graph with maximum average degree less than $frac{5}{2}$ has an I,F-partition, which is sharp and answers a question of Cranston and West [A guide to the discharging method, arXiv:1306.4434]. This result implies that planar graphs of girth at least 10 are star 4-colorable, improving upon previous results of Bu, Cranston, Montassier, Raspaud, and Wang [Star coloring of sparse graphs, J. Graph Theory 62 (2009), 201-219].
We study the problem of Minimum $k$-Critical Bipartite Graph of order $(n,m)$ - M$k$CBG-$(n,m)$: to find a bipartite $G=(U,V;E)$, with $|U|=n$, $|V|=m$, and $n>m>1$, which is $k$-critical bipartite, and the tuple $(|E|, Delta_U, Delta_V)$, where $Del
ta_U$ and $Delta_V$ denote the maximum degree in $U$ and $V$, respectively, is lexicographically minimum over all such graphs. $G$ is $k$-critical bipartite if deleting at most $k=n-m$ vertices from $U$ creates $G$ that has a complete matching, i.e., a matching of size $m$. We show that, if $m(n-m+1)/n$ is an integer, then a solution of the M$k$CBG-$(n,m)$ problem can be found among $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graphs of order $(n,m)$, with $a=m(n-m+1)/n$, and $b=n-m+1$. If $a=m-1$, then all $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graphs of order $(n,m)$ are $k$-critical bipartite. For $a<m-1$, it is not the case. We characterize the values of $n$, $m$, $a$, and $b$ that admit an $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graph of order $(n,m)$, with $b=n-m+1$, and give a simple construction that creates such a $k$-critical bipartite graph whenever possible. Our techniques are based on Halls marriage theorem, elementary number theory, linear Diophantine equations, properties of integer functions and congruences, and equations involving them.