Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
Let G be a finite connected graph without loops or multiple edges. A maximal tree subgraph T of G is called a spanning tree of G. Denote by k(G) the number of all trees spanning the graph G. A. Rosa formulated the following problem (private communication): Let x(≠2) be a given positive integer and denote by α(x) the smallest positive integer y having the following property: There exists a graph G on y vertices with x spanning trees. Investigate the behavior of the function α(x).