Graph Colouring and Variations

Chromatic graph theory is a thriving area that uses various ideas of 'colouring' (of vertices, edges, and so on) to explore aspects of graph theory. It has links with other areas of mathematics, including topology, algebra and geometry, and is increasingly used in such areas as computer networks, where colouring algorithms form an important feature. While other books cover portions of the material, no other title has such a wide scope as this one, in which acknowledged international experts in the field provide a broad survey of the subject. All fifteen chapters have been carefully edited, with uniform notation and terminology applied throughout. Bjarne Toft (Odense, Denmark), widely recognized for his substantial contributions to the area, acted as academic consultant. The book serves as a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in graph theory and combinatorics and as a useful introduction to the topic for mathematicians in related fields.

Contains a wealth of information previously scattered in research journals, conference proceedings and technical reports. Identifies more than 200 unsolved problems. Every problem is stated in a self-contained, extremely accessible format, followed by comments on its history, related results and literature. The book will stimulate research and help avoid efforts on solving already settled problems. Each chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of references which will lead readers to original sources, important contributions and other surveys.

Over the past decade, many major advances have been made in the field of graph coloring via the probabilistic method. This monograph, by two of the best on the topic, provides an accessible and unified treatment of these results, using tools such as the Lovasz Local Lemma and Talagrand's concentration inequality.

The Four-Color Problem

This textbook treats graph colouring as an algorithmic problem, with a strong emphasis on practical applications. The author describes and analyses some of the best-known algorithms for colouring graphs, focusing on whether these heuristics can provide optimal solutions in some cases; how they perform on graphs where the chromatic number is unknown; and whether they can produce better solutions than other algorithms for certain types of graphs, and why. The introductory chapters explain graph colouring, complexity theory, bounds and constructive algorithms. The author then shows how advanced, graph colouring techniques can be applied to classic real-world operational research problems such as designing seating plans, sports scheduling, and university timetabling. He includes many examples, suggestions for further reading, and historical notes, and the book is supplemented by an online suite of downloadable code. The book is of value to researchers, graduate students, and practitioners in the areas of operations research, theoretical computer science, optimization, and computational intelligence. The reader should have elementary knowledge of sets, matrices, and enumerative combinatorics.

Handbook of Combinatorics, Volume 1 focuses on basic methods, paradigms, results, issues, and trends across the broad spectrum of combinatorics. The selection first elaborates on the basic graph theory, connectivity and network flows, and matchings and extensions. Discussions focus on stable sets and claw free graphs, nonbipartite matching, multicommodity flows and disjoint paths, minimum cost circulations and flows, special proof techniques for paths and circuits, and Hamilton paths and circuits in digraphs. The manuscript then examines coloring, stable sets, and perfect graphs and embeddings and minors. The book takes a look at random graphs, hypergraphs, partially ordered sets, and matroids. Topics include geometric lattices, structural properties, linear extensions and correlation, dimension and posets of bounded degree, hypergraphs and set systems, stability, transversals, and matchings, and phase transition. The manuscript also reviews the combinatorial number theory, point lattices, convex polytopes and related complexes, and extremal problems in combinatorial geometry. The selection is a valuable reference for researchers interested in combinatorics.