CS341: Graph Theory (I) Fall, 2017 Homework 4 solutions Select any 5 problems to solve.

The total
score of this homework is 10 points. You get a bonus point if you solve all 6 problems correctly. 1.
[page 83, #4 ] Let X and X0 be minimal separators in G such that X meets at least two components of
G − X0 . Show that X0 meets at least two components of G − X, and X meets all the components of G
− X0 . Solution: Suppose that X0 meets G − X in only one component. Call this component C. Then X0
⊆ X ∪ C. So the components of G − X0 are components which come from C − X0 and a component
which contains the rest of G. So, X meets only one component of G − X0 . This a contradiction.
Hence, X0 meets at least two components of G − X. Then, it follows from symmetry that X meets
every component of G−X0 . 2. [page 83, #10 ] Let e be an edge in a 3-connected graph G 6= K4. Show
that either G −· e or G/e is again 3-connected. Solution: Let e = xy be an edge in a 3-connected graph
G 6= K4. We want to show that either G −· e or G/e is 3-connected. Suppose not, so neither of these
graphs are 3-connected. Then each of these new graphs has a set of at most two vertices that
disconnects it. First we look at G/e. If neither of the vertices are the compressed ends of e then
these vertices would disconnect G, a contradiction. Let the other vertex in the separator be called z.
Since {xy, z} is a separator of G/e, {x, y, z} will be a separator of G. And this set is a minimal separator
in G so each of these connects to every component of G − {x, y, z}. Now we look at G −· e. Neither x
nor y can be in the separator or they would be part of a 2-separator of G, so let {u, v} be a separator
of G −· e. Now we consider where u and v live in G − {x, y, z}. If they are in the same component, then
there is at least one component containing neither u nor v. Since x and y have edges to this
connected component there must be a xy path that does not use e or go through u or v. Thus x and y
are in the same component in G− {u, v}. This would mean that {u, v} separates G, a contradiction,
since removing e doesn’t affect anything. Hence u and v are in different components of G− {x, y, z}
and there are only these two components. Let a, b, c be the ends of the edges to x, y, z respectively,
in the component containing u. Since G is 3-connected there is an ab path that does not go through x
or u. If such a path doesn’t go through v then we can travel 1 from x to a to this path to b then to y.
This would mean that x and y are in the same component of G − {u, v}. This is a contradiction as
argued above. Thus every such path goes through v. So there is some path from a to v that doesn’t
go through x, b, or u. This path must go through either y or z first to get to the other side. Going
through y would place x and y in the same component of G − {u, v}, again a contradiction. Thus there
is a path from a to z that doesn’t go through x, v, or u. So a and z are in the same component of G −
{u, v}, and thus x is as well since it is a neighbor of a. Now we know that y and z are in different
components of G− {u, v} since x is in the same one as z. Since G is 3-connected there is a bc path that
does not go through y or u. Every such path must go through v or else y and z would be in the same
component of G − {u, v}. Thus there is a path from b to v that does not go through y, c or u. So this
path must go through x or z first. But if it goes through x then x and y would be in the same
component of G − {u, v}. And if it goes through z then y and z would be in the same component, also
a contradiction. Therefore G must not be 3-connected and we have shown that there must be a
contradiction so either G −· e or G/e is 3-connected. 3. [page 84, #18 ] Let k ≥ 2. Show that every k-
connected graph of order at least 2k contains a cycle of length at least 2k. Solution: Let k ≥ 2 and let
G be a k-connected graph with |G| ≥ 2k. As G is kconnected, it is connected, and as δ(G) ≥ κ(G) ≥ k ≥
2, it has no leaves, so it is not a tree, so it has a cycle. Let C be a largest cycle in G. First, as δ(G) ≥ κ(G)
≥ k and G has a cycle, |C| ≥ k + 1. Assume for the sake of contradiction that |C| < 2k. Then there is a
v ∈ G\C. Let A = N(v) and B = V (C). as δ(G) ≥ κ(G) ≥ k, |A| ≥ k. Furthermore, any set X of size less than
k cannot separate A and B as that would disconnect v and some c ∈ C, contradiction that G is k-
connected. Thus the size of a minimum separator is at least k, and by Menger’s theorem, there are
at least k disjoint AB paths. By the pigeon-hole principle (with vertices in A as pigeons and edges in C
as holes), there are a, a0 ∈ A and c1, c2 ∈ C such that c1, c2 ∈ E(G) there are distinct a − c1 and a 0 −
c2 paths Pa and Pa0 . (Note that these paths may be of length on if a vertex of C is adjacent to v.) Let
P be the c1c2 path in C of size at least two, Then C 0 = vPa o P Pa0v has size at least one larger than
C, contradicting the maximality of C. We conclude |C| ≥ 2k. 2 4. [page 84, #19 ] Let k ≥ 2. Show that
in a k-connected graph any k vertices lie on a common cycle. Solution: Let G be a k-connected graph,
and let v1, . . . , vk ∈ V (G). Let C be a cycle containing as many of these specified vertices as possible,
without loss of generality say v1, . . . , vl , and suppose that l < k. Then there exists a vl+1 outside of
C, and by Menger’s Theorem, the minimum number of vertices not equal to vl+1 separating vl+1
from C is equal to the maximum number of independent N(vl+1)-C paths. Hence, since G is k-
connected, there are at least k paths from vl+1 to C, independent save for vl+1 as the initial vertex.
However, these paths must meet C in between each of the vertices v1, . . . , vl with no two paths
meeting in the same portion of the cycle viCvi+1, or else there exists a larger cycle containing vl+1.
On the other hand, if no such cycle exists, then there are at least k elements from v1, . . . , vk in C
(since there are k paths meeting C in this way), a contradiction. 5. [page 84, #24 ] Derive Tutte’s 1-
factor theorem from Mader’s theorem. Solution: Let G = (V, E) be a graph. For each vertex v ∈ V (G),
add a new vertex v 0 , and connect v to v 0 . Call this new graph G0 , and le