Arnaud Pêcher

Almost all webs are not rank-perfect

Graphs with circular symmetry, called webs, are crucial for describing the stable set polytopes of two larger graph classes, quasi-line graphs[8,12] and claw-free graphs [7,8]. Providing a complete linear description of the stable set polytopes of claw-free graphs is a long-standing problem [9]. Ben Rebea conjectured a description for quasi-line graphs, see [12]; Chudnovsky and Seymour [2] verified this conjecture recently for quasi-line graphs not belonging to the subclass of fuzzy circular interval graphs and showed that rank facets are required in this case only. Fuzzy circular interval graphs contain all webs and even the problem of finding all facets of their stable set polytopes is open. So far, it is only known that stable set polytopes of webs with clique number ≤3 have rank facets only [5,17] while there are examples with clique number ≥4 having non-rank facets [10_12,15].In this paper we prove, building on a construction for non-rank facets from [16], that the stable set polytopes of almost all webs with clique number ≥5 admit non-rank facets. This adds support to the belief that these graphs are indeed the core of Ben Rebeas conjecture. Finally, we present a conjecture how to construct all facets of the stable set polytopes of webs.

Strong Chromatic Index Of Planar Graphs With Large Girth

Abstract Let Δ ≥ 4 be an integer. In this note, we prove that every planar graph with maximum degree Δ and girth at least 1 Δ+46 is strong (2Δ−1)-edgecolorable, that is best possible (in terms of number of colors) as soon as G contains two adjacent vertices of degree Δ. This improves [6] when Δ ≥ 6.

On the theta number of powers of cycle graphs

We give a closed formula for Lovász’s theta number of the powers of cycle graphs Ckd−1and of their complements, the circular complete graphs Kk/d. As a consequence, we establish that the circular chromatic number of a circular perfect graph is computable in polynomial time. We also derive an asymptotic estimate for the theta number of Ckd.

Characterizing and bounding the imperfection ratio for some classes of graphs

Perfect graphs constitute a well-studied graph class with a rich structure, which is reflected by many characterizations with respect to different concepts. Perfect graphs are, for instance, precisely those graphs G where the stable set polytope STAB(G) equals the fractional stable set polytope QSTAB(G). The dilation ratio

On classes of minimal circular-imperfect graphs

{\rm min}\{t : {\rm QSTAB}(G) \subseteq t\,{\rm STAB}(G)\}

On non-rank facets of stable set polytopes of webs with clique number four

of the two polytopes yields the imperfection ratio of G. It is NP-hard to compute and, for most graph classes, it is even unknown whether it is bounded. For graphs G such that all facets of STAB(G) are rank constraints associated with antiwebs, we characterize the imperfection ratio and bound it by 3/2. Outgoing from this result, we characterize and bound the imperfection ratio for several graph classes, including near-bipartite graphs and their complements, namely quasi-line graphs, by means of induced antiwebs and webs, respectively.

On the polynomial time computability of the circular-chromatic number for some superclasses of perfect graphs

Zhu [X. Zhu, Circular-perfect graphs, J. Graph Theory 48 (2005) 186-209] introduced circular-perfect graphs as a superclass of the well-known perfect graphs and as an important @g-bound class of graphs with the smallest non-trivial @g-binding function @g(G)@?@w(G)+1. Perfect graphs have been recently characterized as those graphs without odd holes and odd antiholes as induced subgraphs [M. Chudnovsky, N. Robertson, P. Seymour, R. Thomas, The strong perfect graph theorem, Ann. Math. (in press)]; in particular, perfect graphs are closed under complementation [L. Lovasz, Normal hypergraphs and the weak perfect graph conjecture, Discrete Math. 2 (1972) 253-267]. To the contrary, circular-perfect graphs are not closed under complementation and the list of forbidden subgraphs is unknown. We study strongly circular-perfect graphs: a circular-perfect graph is strongly circular-perfect if its complement is circular-perfect as well. This subclass entails perfect graphs, odd holes, and odd antiholes. As the main result, we fully characterize the triangle-free strongly circular-perfect graphs, and prove that, for this graph class, both the stable set problem and the recognition problem can be solved in polynomial time. Moreover, we address the characterization of strongly circular-perfect graphs by means of forbidden subgraphs. Results from [A. Pecher, A. Wagler, On classes of minimal circular-imperfect graphs, Discrete Math. (in press)] suggest that formulating a corresponding conjecture for circular-perfect graphs is difficult; it is even unknown which triangle-free graphs are minimal circular-imperfect. We present the complete list of all triangle-free minimal not strongly circular-perfect graphs.

On strongly circular-perfectness

Circular-perfect graphs form a natural superclass of perfect graphs: on the one hand due to their definition by means of a more general coloring concept, on the other hand as an important class of @g-bound graphs with the smallest non-trivial @g-binding function @g(G)=<@w(G)+1. The Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture, recently settled by Chudnovsky et al. [The strong perfect graph theorem, Ann. of Math. 164 (2006) 51-229], provides a characterization of perfect graphs by means of forbidden subgraphs. It is, therefore, natural to ask for an analogous conjecture for circular-perfect graphs, that is for a characterization of all minimal circular-imperfect graphs. At present, not many minimal circular-imperfect graphs are known. This paper studies the circular-(im)perfection of some families of graphs: normalized circular cliques, partitionable graphs, planar graphs, and complete joins. We thereby exhibit classes of minimal circular-imperfect graphs, namely, certain partitionable webs, a subclass of planar graphs, and odd wheels and odd antiwheels. As those classes appear to be very different from a structural point of view, we infer that formulating an appropriate conjecture for circular-perfect graphs, as analogue to the Strong Perfect Graph Theorem, seems to be difficult.