Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.059
Rongxia Tang , Zhaojun Chen , Zan-Bo Zhang
A homogeneous tournament is a tournament with vertices such that every arc is contained in exactly cycles of length 3. Homogeneous tournaments are the first class of tournaments that are proved to be path extendable, which means that every nonhamiltonian path in such a tournament can be extended to a path with the same initial and terminal vertex and for a certain vertex . In order to find more path extendable tournaments we study the generalization of homogeneous tournaments called near-homogeneous tournaments, in which every arc is contained in or cycles of length 3. Near-homogeneity has been defined in tournaments with vertices. In this paper, we raise a new method to construct near-homogeneous tournaments with vertices. We then show that the definition of near-homogeneous tournament can be extended to tournaments with an even number of vertices. Finally we verify path extendability of near-homogeneous tournaments, thus expand the class of path extendable tournaments.
{"title":"Construction, extension and paths of near-homogeneous tournaments","authors":"Rongxia Tang , Zhaojun Chen , Zan-Bo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.059","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.059","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A homogeneous tournament is a tournament with <span><math><mrow><mn>4</mn><mi>t</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>3</mn></mrow></math></span> vertices such that every arc is contained in exactly <span><math><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span> cycles of length 3. Homogeneous tournaments are the first class of tournaments that are proved to be path extendable, which means that every nonhamiltonian path <span><math><mi>P</mi></math></span> in such a tournament <span><math><mi>T</mi></math></span> can be extended to a path <span><math><msup><mrow><mi>P</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>′</mo></mrow></msup></math></span> with the same initial and terminal vertex and <span><math><mrow><mi>V</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>P</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>′</mo></mrow></msup><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>=</mo><mi>V</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>P</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>∪</mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mi>u</mi><mo>}</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> for a certain vertex <span><math><mrow><mi>u</mi><mo>∈</mo><mi>V</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>T</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>∖</mo><mi>V</mi><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>P</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span>. In order to find more path extendable tournaments we study the generalization of homogeneous tournaments called near-homogeneous tournaments, in which every arc is contained in <span><math><mi>t</mi></math></span> or <span><math><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span> cycles of length 3. Near-homogeneity has been defined in tournaments with <span><math><mrow><mn>4</mn><mi>t</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span> vertices. In this paper, we raise a new method to construct near-homogeneous tournaments with <span><math><mrow><mn>4</mn><mi>t</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span> vertices. We then show that the definition of near-homogeneous tournament can be extended to tournaments with an even number of vertices. Finally we verify path extendability of near-homogeneous tournaments, thus expand the class of path extendable tournaments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50573,"journal":{"name":"Discrete Applied Mathematics","volume":"384 ","pages":"Pages 268-280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"数学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.070
Daoxia Zhang, Dan Li, Wenxiu Ding
A graph is trivial if it contains only one vertex. The essential connectivity of , denoted by , is the minimum number of vertices of whose removal produces a disconnected graph with at least two non-trivial components. In this paper, we determine the -vertex graph of given essential connectivity with minimum distance spectral radius. We also characterize the extremal graphs attaining the minimum distance spectral radius among all connected graphs with fixed essential connectivity and minimum degree. Furthermore, we characterize the extremal digraphs with minimum distance spectral radius among the strongly connected digraphs with given essential connectivity.
{"title":"Extremal distance spectra of graphs and essential connectivity","authors":"Daoxia Zhang, Dan Li, Wenxiu Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A graph is trivial if it contains only one vertex. The essential connectivity of <span><math><mi>G</mi></math></span>, denoted by <span><math><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>κ</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>′</mo></mrow></msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>G</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span>, is the minimum number of vertices of <span><math><mi>G</mi></math></span> whose removal produces a disconnected graph with at least two non-trivial components. In this paper, we determine the <span><math><mi>n</mi></math></span>-vertex graph of given essential connectivity with minimum distance spectral radius. We also characterize the extremal graphs attaining the minimum distance spectral radius among all connected graphs with fixed essential connectivity and minimum degree. Furthermore, we characterize the extremal digraphs with minimum distance spectral radius among the strongly connected digraphs with given essential connectivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50573,"journal":{"name":"Discrete Applied Mathematics","volume":"384 ","pages":"Pages 243-255"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"数学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.057
Xiaotong Gu, Hongzhi Deng, Yuting Tian, Jianhua Tu
In this paper, we determine the maximum number of maximal independent sets for three families of graphs. The first family comprises all 2-connected graphs with matching number . The second family consists of all unicyclic graphs with matching number . The third family encompasses all graphs on vertices with matching number where ; note that the case has been settled in previous work.
{"title":"Maximizing the number of maximal independent sets in graphs with a given matching number","authors":"Xiaotong Gu, Hongzhi Deng, Yuting Tian, Jianhua Tu","doi":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we determine the maximum number of maximal independent sets for three families of graphs. The first family comprises all 2-connected graphs with matching number <span><math><mi>t</mi></math></span>. The second family consists of all unicyclic graphs with matching number <span><math><mi>t</mi></math></span>. The third family encompasses all graphs on <span><math><mi>n</mi></math></span> vertices with matching number <span><math><mi>t</mi></math></span> where <span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>t</mi><mo>≤</mo><mi>n</mi><mo>≤</mo><mn>3</mn><mi>t</mi></mrow></math></span>; note that the case <span><math><mrow><mi>n</mi><mo>≥</mo><mn>3</mn><mi>t</mi></mrow></math></span> has been settled in previous work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50573,"journal":{"name":"Discrete Applied Mathematics","volume":"382 ","pages":"Pages 368-382"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"数学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dam.2026.01.001
Annachiara Korchmaros , Peter F. Stadler
2-quasi best match graphs (2qBMGs) are directed graphs that capture a notion of close relatedness in phylogenetics. Here, we investigate the underlying undirected graph of a 2qBMG (un2qBMG) and show that it contains neither a path nor a cycle of length as an induced subgraph. This property guarantees the existence of specific vertex decompositions with dominating bicliques that provide further insights into their structure.
{"title":"Forbidden configurations and dominating bicliques in undirected 2-quasi best match graphs","authors":"Annachiara Korchmaros , Peter F. Stadler","doi":"10.1016/j.dam.2026.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dam.2026.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>2-quasi best match graphs (2qBMGs) are directed graphs that capture a notion of close relatedness in phylogenetics. Here, we investigate the underlying undirected graph of a 2qBMG (un2qBMG) and show that it contains neither a path <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>P</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>l</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> nor a cycle <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>l</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> of length <span><math><mrow><mi>l</mi><mo>≥</mo><mn>6</mn></mrow></math></span> as an induced subgraph. This property guarantees the existence of specific vertex decompositions with dominating bicliques that provide further insights into their structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50573,"journal":{"name":"Discrete Applied Mathematics","volume":"383 ","pages":"Pages 308-314"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"数学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dam.2025.12.052
Chuixiang Zhou, Yuxi Zou
An even cycle decomposition of a graph is defined as a partition of its edges into cycles of even length. Let be a 2-connected cubic graph. Markström conjectured that the line graph of admits an even cycle decomposition. Suppose that is a 2-factor of , where each