Southeast Asian Bulletin of Mathematics (2012) 36: 529534

Southeast Asian Bulletin of Mathematics

c SEAMS. 2012

Highly Hamiltonian K1,3 P4 -Free Graphs

R.E. Ramos and A.L. Babierra
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, University of the Philippines Los Ba nos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines Email: albabierra@uplb.edu.ph

Received 16 August 2008 Accepted 29 March 2012 Communicated by Y.N. Yeh

AMS Mathematics Subject Classication(2000): 05C38, 05C45 Abstract. A graph G is K1,3 P4 -free if G contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to K1,3 nor P4 . We characterize here the fully cycle extendable 2-connected K1,3 P4 free graphs, the panconnected 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs, the path extendable 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs, and the q -edge hamiltonian k-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs. Keywords: Cycle extendable; Panconnected; Path extendable; q -edge hamiltonian; Forbidden subgraph.

1. Introduction
We consider nite undirected graphs without loops nor multiple edges. Terms and symbols not explained here are dened in [1]. A graph G is said to be H -free (H is a graph) if G contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to H . The graph H is then called a forbidden subgraph. A graph G is H1 H2 -free if G is H1 -free and H2 -free. We focus on K1,3 P4 -free graphs. The star K1,3 is called the claw. Obviously, P4 -free graphs are Z2 -free. In [5], Faudree et.al. characterized the cycle extendable 2-connected K1,3 Z2 -free graphs. It is easy to see that 3connected K1,3 Z1 -free graphs are P4 -free. Faudree and Gould [4] proved that every 3-connected K1,3 Z1 -free graph is panconnected. For the results on full cycle extendability, path extendability and q -edge hamiltonicity, see [6], [8] and [2]. In this paper, we characterize the fully cycle extendable 2-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs, the panconnected 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs, the path extendable 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graphs, and the q -edge hamiltonian k -connected K1,3 P4 free graphs. It is noted that R.E. Ramos with R.G. Pizana have also considered

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Figure 1: Z1 , Z2 the triangle graph of a K (1, 1, 3)-free maximal planar graph in [7].

2. Full Cycle Extendability

A cycle C in a graph G is said to be extendable if there is a cycle C in G such that V (C ) V (C ) and |V (C )| = |V (C )| + 1. In this case, C is called an extension of C . A nonacyclic graph G is cycle extendable if any nonhamiltonian cycle in G is extendable. Obviously, cycle extendable graphs containing triangles are pancyclic. Note that every 2-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph is cycle extendable. The noncycle extendable 2-connected K1,3 Z2 -free graphs (Figure 2) are not P4 free.

Figure 2: Noncycle extendable 2-connected K1,3 Z2 -free graphs A cycle extendable graph G is said to be fully cycle extendable if any vertex of G lies on a triangle. Obviously, any vertex of a 3-connected claw-free graph is on a triangle. It is easy to see that a noncomplete K1,3 P4 -free graph with connectivity 2 is isomorphic to K2 + (Km Kn ) or (K1 K1 ) + (Km Kn ) for some m and n. There exists a vertex of (K1 K1 ) + (K1 Kn ) which is not on a triangle. Therefore we have the following theorem.

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Theorem 2.1. A 2-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is fully cycle extendable if and only if G is not isomorphic to (K1 K1 ) + (K1 Kn ) for any n.

3. Path Extendability
Analogously, a u v path P in a graph G is said to be extendable if there is a u v path P in G such that V (P ) V (P ) and |V (P )| = |V (P )| + 1. In this case, P is called an extension of P . A connected graph G is path extendable if any nonhamiltonian nontrivial path in G is extendable. Obviously, path extendable graphs of order at least 3 are panconnected and fully cyle extendable. Lemma 3.1. If a 2-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is not isomorphic to (K1 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) for any m and n, then every edge of G is on a triangle i.e. paths of length 1 are extendable. Proof. Let uv be an edge of G. Then N (u) {v } and N (v ) {u} are nonempty, because G is 2-connected. Suppose that uv is not on a triangle in G. Then N (u) {v } and N (v ) {u} induce disjoint complete subgraphs, since G is clawfree. Also, [N (u) {v }] [N (v ) {u}] induces a complete subgraph because G is P4 -free, and N (u) N (v ) = V (G) since G is connected too. Hence G is a (K1 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) for some m and n, a contradiction. So the lemma holds. Lemma 3.2. If a 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is not isomorphic to (K1 Km )+(K2 Kn ) for any m and n, then every path of length 2 in G is extendable. Proof. Suppose that a path uvw of length 2 in G is not extendable. Then uv and wv are not on a triangle in G w and G u, respectively. So by Lemma 3.1, G w and G u are isomorphic to (K1 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) for some m and n. Also u and w are adjacent, because G is claw-free. Hence G is a (K2 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) for some m and n, a contradiction. Thus the lemma holds. Lemma 3.3. In a 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G, any nonhamiltonian path of length at least 3 is extendable. Proof. Let P = u1 u2 ...un be any nonhamiltonian path of length at least 3 in G. Claim. There exists a vertex v not on P which is adjacent with ui and uj for some i and j , 1 i < j n. Since P is nonspanning and G is 3-connected, there is a vertex v1 not on P adjacent with uk for some k , 1 < k < n. Suppose v1 is not adjacent with uk1 nor with uk+1 . Then there exists a vertex v2 = uk which is adjacent with v1 and uk1 , because G is 2-connected and P4 -free. If v2 is not on P , v2 is adjacent with uk or uk+1 considering {v2 , v1 , uk , uk+1 }. So the claim holds. Without loss of generality, i > 1 and v is not adjacent with ut for t =

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i + 1, i + 2, ..., j 1. If ui1 is adjacent with v , then u1 u2 ...ui1 vui ui+1 ...un is an extension of P . Suppose ui1 is not adjacent with v . Then ui1 is adjacent with ui+1 , since G is claw-free. If j = i + 2, then u1 u2 ...ui1 ui+1 ui vui+2 ui+3 ...un extends P . Suppose also j > i + 2. Then ui is adjacent with ui+2 , ui+3 , ..., uj 1 , considering {v, ui , ui+1 , ui+2 }, {v, ui , ui+2 , ui+3 },...,{v, ui , uj 2 , uj 1 }. Hence u1 u2 ...ui1 ui+1 ui+2 ...uj 1 ui vuj uj +1 ...un is an extension of P . Therefore by Lemmas 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, we have the following theorem. Theorem 3.4. A 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is path extendable if and only if G is not isomorphic to (K1 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) nor (K1 Km ) + (K2 Kn ) for any m and n. It is easy to test that there is a path of length 3 for any two vertices of (K1 Km ) + (K2 Kn ) if m 2. Consequently we have the following theorem. Theorem 3.5. A 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is panconnected if and only if G is not isomorphic to (K1 Km ) + (K1 Kn ) for any m and n.

4. q -edge Hamiltonicity
Proposition 4.1. A noncomplete K1,3 P4 -free graph G with connectivity k 1 is isomorphic to H + (Km Kn ), where H is a K1,3 P4 -free graph of order k with one or two components, for some m and n. If this H has two components, then H is isomorphic to Kr Ks for some r and s, r + s m + n. Proof Sketch. Let W be a set of k vertices in G such that G W is disconnected. Then any vertex of W is adjacent with every vertex of G W , since G is P4 -free and has connectivity k . Moreover W has at most 2 components and G W has two complete components, because G is claw-free. Also, a graph G of order p is said to be q -edge hamiltonian, q p 1, if for any set F of q edges in G which induces a set of disjoint paths, there is a hamiltonian cycle in G that contains all edges of F . Note that if G is not q -edge hamiltonian, q < p 1, then G is not (q +1)-edge hamiltonian. If G is connected, F is a path and G F is disconnected, then there is no hamiltonian cycle in G that contains the edges of F . Obviously, P4 -free graphs are N -free. If H is a connected K1,3 P4 -free graph of order k , then H is traceable [3], thus H + (Km Kn ) is not (k 1)-edge hamiltonian. If m 2, then (Km Kn ) + (Kr Ks ) is not (r + s)-edge hamiltonian. On the other hand, every 2-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph is (0-edge) hamiltonian [3]. Every 3-connected K1,3 P4 -free graph G is hamiltonian-connected [9], so G is 1-edge hamiltonian. It is not dicult to test that (Km Kn ) + (Kr Ks ) is 1-edge hamiltonian.

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Figure 3: Net N Now, let F be any set of q edges, q 1, in a graph G which induces a set of disjoint paths. Note these disjoint paths are nontrivial, so each has two endvertices. Let u be an endvertex of one of these disjoint paths and e be the edge of F incident with u. Suppose that there is a hamiltonian cycle v1 v2 ...vn v1 in G u which contains all edges of F {e}. Then, without loss of generality, v1 be incident with e and v1 v2 is not an edge of F . If u is adjacent with v2 , then uv2 v3 ...vn v1 u is a cycle in G that contains the edges of F . Suppose u is not adjacent with v2 . Assume that G is k -connected and P4 -free, and that k q + 1. Then by Whitneys Theorem, there are at least k vertices adjacent with u and v2 in G. Moreover, u and v2 are adjacent with vi and vj for some i and j , 3 i < j n + 1, vn+1 = v1 , and that vt vt+1 is not an edge of F for t = i, i + 1, ..., j 1. If u is adjacent with vt , and v2 is adjacent with vt+1 , for some t, i t j 1, then uvt vt1 ...v2 vt+1 vt+2 ...vn v1 u is a hamiltonian cycle in G that contains all edges of F . For t = n, uv1 v2 ...vn u contains F . Suppose otherwise and assume that G is also claw-free. Then u is adjacent with vi+1 , vi+2 , ..., vj 2 , and vi is adjacent with vi+2 , vi+3 , ..., vj 1 , considering {u, v2 , vi , vi+1 } and {v2 , vi , vi+1 , vi+2 }, {u, v2 , vi , vi+2 } and {v2 , vi , vi+2 , vi+3 },...,{u, v2 , vi , vj 2 } and {v2 , vi , vj 2 , vj 1 }. Hence {u, v2 , vi , vj 1 } induces a claw, a contradiction. Thus there is a hamiltonian cycle in G that contains all edges of F . Similarly, G u is (q 1)-edge hamiltonian assuming that G is (q 1)-edge hamiltonian and q < k 1. Therefore by induction on q , we have the following: Theorem 4.2. Let G be a noncomplete K1,3 P4 -free graph of order p with connectivity k 2 except C4 . i. If k 1 < q p 1, then G is not q -edge hamiltonian. ii. If q = k 1, then G is q -edge hamiltonian if and only if G is not isomorphic to H + (Km Kn ), where H is any connected K1,3 P4 -free graph of order k , for every m and n. iii. If q < k 1, then G is q -edge hamiltonian.

References
[1] G. Chartrand, L. Lesniak, Graphs and Digraphs, 3rd Ed., Chapman and Hall, London, 1996.

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[2] G. Chen, R.H. Schelp, Hamiltonicity for K1,r -free graphs, J. Graph Theory 20 (1995) 423439. [3] D. Duus, R.J. Gould, M.S. Jacobson, Forbidden subgraphs and the hamiltonian theme, In: The Theory and Applications of Graphs, Chartrand et.al. (Eds.), 1981. [4] R.J. Faudree, R.J. Gould, Characterizing forbidden pairs for hamiltonian properties, Discrete Math. 173 (1997) 4560. [5] R. Faudree, Z. Ryjacek, I. Schiermeyer, forbidden subgraphs and cycle extendability, J. Combin. Math. Combin. Comput. 19 (1995) 109128. [6] R. Faudree, Z. Ryjacek, I. Schiermeyer, local connectivity and cycle extension in claw-free graphs, Ars Combin. 47 (1997) 185190. [7] R.E. Ramos, R.G. Pizana, On the triangle graph of a K (1, 2, 3)-free maximal planar graph, Southeast Asian Bull. Math. 20 (4) (1996) 1517. [8] Y. Sheng, F. Tian, J. Wang, B. Wei, Y. Zhu, Path extendability of claw-free graphs, Discrete Math. 306 (2006) 20102015. [9] F.B. Shepherd, Hamiltonicity in claw-free graphs, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 53 (1991) 173194.