Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:01:37.335Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Optimal Packings of Hamilton Cycles in Graphs of High Minimum Degree

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2012

DANIELA KÜHN
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
JOHN LAPINSKAS
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
DERYK OSTHUS
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])

Abstract

We study the number of edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles one can guarantee in a sufficiently large graph G on n vertices with minimum degree δ=(1/2+α)n. For any constant α>0, we give an optimal answer in the following sense: let regeven(n,δ) denote the degree of the largest even-regular spanning subgraph one can guarantee in a graph on n vertices with minimum degree δ. Then the number of edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles we find equals regeven(n,δ)/2. The value of regeven(n,δ) is known for infinitely many values of n and δ. We also extend our results to graphs G of minimum degree δ ≥ n/2, unless G is close to the extremal constructions for Dirac's theorem. Our proof relies on a recent and very general result of Kühn and Osthus on Hamilton decomposition of robustly expanding regular graphs.

Type
Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1]Christofides, D., Kühn, D. and Osthus, D. (2012) Edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles in graphs, J. Combin. Theory B 102 10351060.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[2]Csaba, B., Kühn, D., Lo, A., Osthus, D. and Treglown, A. Personal communication.Google Scholar
[3]Dirac, G. A. (1952) Some theorems on abstract graphs. Proc. London Math. Soc. 2 6981.Google Scholar
[4]Hartke, S. G., Martin, R. and Seacrest, T. Relating minimum degree and the existence of a k-factor. Research manuscript.Google Scholar
[5]Hartke, S. G. and Seacrest, T. Random partitions and edge-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles. Preprint.Google Scholar
[6]Hefetz, D., Kühn, D., Lapinskas, J. and Osthus, D. Optimal covers with Hamilton cycles in random graphs. Preprint.Google Scholar
[7]Jackson, B. (1979) Edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles in regular graphs of large degree. J. London Math. Soc. 19 1316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[8]Katerinis, P. (1985) Minimum degree of a graph and the existence of k-factors. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. Math. Sci. 94 123127.Google Scholar
[9]Knox, F., Kühn, D. and Osthus, D. Edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles in random graphs. Preprint.Google Scholar
[10]Krivelevich, M. and Samotij, W. (2012) Optimal packings of Hamilton cycles in sparse random graphs. SIAM J. Discrete Math. 26 964982.Google Scholar
[11]Kühn, D. and Osthus, D. Hamilton decompositions of regular expanders: A proof of Kelly's conjecture for large tournaments. Preprint.Google Scholar
[12]Kühn, D. and Osthus, D. Hamilton decompositions of regular expanders: applications. Preprint.Google Scholar
[13]Kühn, D., Osthus, D. and Treglown, A. (2010) Hamiltonian degree sequences in digraphs, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 100 367380.Google Scholar
[14]Nash-Williams, C. St. J. A. (1970) Hamiltonian lines in graphs whose vertices have sufficiently large valencies. In Combinatorial Theory and its Applications III: Proc. Colloq., Balatonfüred, 1969, North-Holland, pp. 813819.Google Scholar
[15]Nash-Williams, C. St. J. A. (1971) Edge-disjoint Hamiltonian circuits in graphs with vertices of large valency. In Studies in Pure Mathematics (Presented to Richard Rado), Academic Press, pp. 157183.Google Scholar
[16]Nash-Williams, C. St. J. A. (1971) Hamiltonian arcs and circuits. In Recent Trends in Graph Theory: Proc. Conf., New York, 1970, Springer, pp. 197210.Google Scholar
[17]Tutte, W. T. (1952) The factors of graphs. Canad. J. Math. 4 314328.Google Scholar