Vertices u and v of a graph G are pseudo-similar if G – u ≅ G – v, but no automorphisms of G maps u to v. Let H be a graph with a distinguished vertex a. Denote by G(u. H) and G(v. H) the graphs obtained from G and H by identifying vertex a of H with pseudo-similar vertices u and v, respectively, of G. Is it possible for G(u.H) and G(v.H) to be isomorphic graphs? We answer this question in the affirmative by constructing graphs G for which G(u. H)≅ G(v. H).

We define and investigate the notion of a decomposable hypergraph, showing that such a hypergraph always is conformal, that is, can be viewed as the class of maximal cliques of a graph. We further show that the clique hypergraph of a graph is decomposable if and only if the graph is triangulated and characterise such graphs in terms of a combinatorial identity.

An undirected simple graph G is called chordal if every circle of G of length greater than 3 has a chord. For a chordal graph G, we prove the following: (i) If m is an odd positive integer, Gm is chordal. (ii) If m is an even positive integer and if Gm is not chordal, then none of the edges of any chordless cycle of Gm is an edge of Gr, r < m.

Let the word “graph” be used in the sense of a countable, connected, simple graph with at least one vertex. We write Qn and Ocn for the graphs associated with the n-cube Qn and the n-octahedron Ocn respectively. In a previous paper (Dekker, 1981) we generalized Qn and Qn to a graph QN and a cube QN, for any nonzero recursive equivalence type N. In the present paper we do the same for Ocn and Ocn. We also examine the nature of the duality between QN and OcN, in case N is an infinite isol. There are c RETs, c denoting the cardinality of the continuum.

A permutation group G on a finite set Ω is always exposable if whenever G stabilises a switching class of graphs on Ω, G fixes a graph in the switching class. Here we consider the problem: given a finite group G, which permutation representations of G are always exposable? We present solutions to the problem for (i) 2-generator abelian groups, (ii) all abelian groups in semiregular representations. (iii) generalised quaternion groups and (iv) some representations of the symmetric group Sn.

S. T. Hedetniemi and P. J. Slater have shown that if G is a triangle-free connected graph with at least three vertices, then

where K(G) is the clique graph of G and K2(G) = K(K(G)) is the first iterated clique graph. In this paper, we generalize the above result to a wider class of graphs.

We determine the limiting distribution of the distance from the root of a tree to any nearest endnode of the tree (other than the root) for certain families of rooted trees.

We show that the problem of settling the existence of an n × n Hadamard matrix, where n is divisible by 4, is equivalent to that of finding the cardinality of a smallest set T of 4-circuits in the complete bipartite graph K n, n, such that T contains at least one circuit of each copy of K2,3 in Kn, n.

Let t, m > 2 and p > 2 be positive integers and denote by N(t, m, p) the largest integer for which there exists a t-uniform hypergraph with N (not necessarily distinct) edges and having no independent set of edges of size m and no vertex of degree exceeding p. In this paper we complete the determination of N(t, m, 3) and obtain some new bounds on N(t, 2, p).

We discuss the problem of constructing large graceful trees from smaller ones and provide a partial answer in the case of the product tree Sm {g} by way of a sample of sufficient conditions on g. Interlaced trees play an important role as building blocks in our constructions, although the resulting valuations are not always interlaced.

We are interested here in the Ramsey number r(T, C), where C is a complete k-uniform hypergraph and T is a “tree-like” k-graph. Upper and lower bounds are found for these numbers which lead, in some cases, to the exact value for r(T, C) and to a generalization of a theorem of Chváta1 on Ramsey numbers for graphs. In other cases we show that a determination of the exact values of r(T, C) would be equivalent to obtaining a complete solution to existence question for a certain class of Steiner systems.

Some sufficient conditions for the reconstructability of separable graphs are given proceeding along the lines suggested by Bondy, Greenwell and Hemminger. It is shown that the structure and automorphism group of a central block plays an important role in the reconstruction.

A set with a relation is isomorphic to a group quotient under the condition described as weak homogeneity, and to the quotient of a group with relation preserved by right and left translations if the homogeneity is strengthened. A method of constructing these group quotients and, furthermore, all such very homogeneous spaces, is described and an illustrative example given.

A random rooted labelled tree on n vertices has asymptotically the same shape as a branching-type process, in which each generation of a branching process with Poisson family sizes, parameter one, is supplemented by a single additional member added at random to one of the families in that generation. In this note we use this probabilistic representation to deduce the asymptotic distribution of the distance from the root to the nearest endertex other than itself.

Cubic Moore graphs of diameter k on 3.2k−2 vertices do not exist for k > 2. This paper exhibits the first known case of nonexistence for generalized cubic Moore graphs when the number of vertices is just less than the critical number for a Moore graph: the generalized Moore graph on 44 vertices does not exist.

We contine our study of the following combinatorial problem: What is the largest integer N = N (t, m, p) for which there exists a set of N people satisfying the following conditions: (a) each person speaks t languages, (b) among any m people there are two who speak a common language and (c) at most p speak a common language. We obtain bounds for N(t, m, p) and evaluate N(3, m, p) for all m and infintely many values of p.

The self-complement index s(G) of a graph G is the maximum order of an induced subgraph of G whose complement is also induced in G. This new graphical invariant provides a measure of how close a given graph is to being selfcomplementary. We establish the existence of graphs G of order p having s(G) = n for all positive integers n < p. We determine s(G) for several families of graphs and find in particular that when G is a tree, s(G) = 4 unless G is a star for which s(G) = 2.

A square matrix A is transposable if P(RA) = (RA)T for some permutation matrices p and R, and symmetrizable if (SA)T = SA for some permutation matrix S. In this paper we find necessary and sufficient conditions on a permutation matrix P so that A is always symmetrizable if P(RA) = (RA)T for some permutation matrix R.

We show that the complete symmetric digraph DKn, n≧5, can be decomposed into each of the four oriented pentagons if and only if n ≡ 0 or 1 (mod 5).

An isomorphic factorisation of a digraph D is a partition of its arcs into mutually isomorphic subgraphs. If such a factorisation of D into exactly t parts exists, then t must divide the number of arcs in D. This is called the divisibility condition. It is shown conversely that the divisibility condition ensures the existence of an isomorphic factorisation into t parts in the case of any complete digraph. The sufficiency of the divisibility condition is also investigated for complete m-partite digraphs. It is shown to suffice when m = 2 and t is odd, but counterexamples are provided when m = 2 and t is even, and when m = 3 and either t = 2 or t is odd.