Geometric description of $d$-dimensional flows of a graph

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Main Authors: Mattiolo, Davide, Mazzuoccolo, Giuseppe, Rajník, Jozef, Tabarelli, Gloria
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Mattiolo, Davide
Mazzuoccolo, Giuseppe
Rajník, Jozef
Tabarelli, Gloria
author_facet Mattiolo, Davide
Mazzuoccolo, Giuseppe
Rajník, Jozef
Tabarelli, Gloria
contents A $d$-dimensional nowhere-zero $r$-flow on a graph $G$, an $(r,d)$-NZF from now on, is a flow where the value on each edge is an element of $\mathbb{R}^d$ whose (Euclidean) norm lies in the interval $[1, r-1]$. Such a notion is a natural generalization of the well-known concept of a circular nowhere-zero $r$-flow (i.e.\ $d = 1$). The minimum of the real numbers $r$ such that a graph $G$ admits an $(r, d)$-NZF is called the $d$-dimensional flow number of $G$ and is denoted by $ϕ_d(G)$. In this paper we provide a geometric description of some $d$-dimensional flows on a graph $G$, and we prove that the existence of a suitable cycle double cover of $G$ is equivalent, for $G$, to admit such a geometrically constructed $(r,d)$-NZF. This geometric approach allows us to provide upper bounds for $ϕ_{d-2}(G)$ and $ϕ_{d-1}(G)$, assuming that $G$ admits an (oriented) $d$-cycle double cover.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_19411
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geometric description of $d$-dimensional flows of a graph
Mattiolo, Davide
Mazzuoccolo, Giuseppe
Rajník, Jozef
Tabarelli, Gloria
Combinatorics
05C21
A $d$-dimensional nowhere-zero $r$-flow on a graph $G$, an $(r,d)$-NZF from now on, is a flow where the value on each edge is an element of $\mathbb{R}^d$ whose (Euclidean) norm lies in the interval $[1, r-1]$. Such a notion is a natural generalization of the well-known concept of a circular nowhere-zero $r$-flow (i.e.\ $d = 1$). The minimum of the real numbers $r$ such that a graph $G$ admits an $(r, d)$-NZF is called the $d$-dimensional flow number of $G$ and is denoted by $ϕ_d(G)$. In this paper we provide a geometric description of some $d$-dimensional flows on a graph $G$, and we prove that the existence of a suitable cycle double cover of $G$ is equivalent, for $G$, to admit such a geometrically constructed $(r,d)$-NZF. This geometric approach allows us to provide upper bounds for $ϕ_{d-2}(G)$ and $ϕ_{d-1}(G)$, assuming that $G$ admits an (oriented) $d$-cycle double cover.
title Geometric description of $d$-dimensional flows of a graph
topic Combinatorics
05C21
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.19411