Three-coloring triangle-free graphs without long forbidden paths
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arXiv
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866909974330867712 |
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| author | Zhou, Yidong Jooken, Jorik Shan, Baoyuan Goedgebeur, Jan Huang, Shenwei |
| author_facet | Zhou, Yidong Jooken, Jorik Shan, Baoyuan Goedgebeur, Jan Huang, Shenwei |
| contents | A graph $G$ is $k$-vertex-critical if $χ(G)=k$, but $χ(G')<k$ for every proper induced subgraph $G'$ of $G$. For a family of graphs $\mathcal{F}$, $G$ is $\mathcal{F}$-free if no graph $F \in \mathcal{F}$ is an induced subgraph of $G$. We show that there are exactly three 4-vertex-critical $\{P_7,C_3\}$-free graphs containing an induced $C_7$, thereby settling the first of the two cases of a conjecture by Goedgebeur and Schaudt [J.~Graph Theory, 87:188--207, 2018]. Moreover, we show that all $\{P_5+P_1,C_3\}$-free graphs are $3$-colorable and by combining our result with known results from the literature, we completely characterize the maximum chromatic number of $\{F,C_3\}$-free graphs if $F$ is a six-vertex induced subgraph of $P_7$. Finally, we construct an infinite family of $4$-vertex-critical $\{4K_2,C_3\}$-free graphs. These graphs are also $\{P_{11},C_3\}$-free and this is the first value of $t$ for which an infinite family of $4$-vertex-critical $\{P_{t},C_3\}$-free graphs is known. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_12349 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Three-coloring triangle-free graphs without long forbidden paths Zhou, Yidong Jooken, Jorik Shan, Baoyuan Goedgebeur, Jan Huang, Shenwei Combinatorics A graph $G$ is $k$-vertex-critical if $χ(G)=k$, but $χ(G')<k$ for every proper induced subgraph $G'$ of $G$. For a family of graphs $\mathcal{F}$, $G$ is $\mathcal{F}$-free if no graph $F \in \mathcal{F}$ is an induced subgraph of $G$. We show that there are exactly three 4-vertex-critical $\{P_7,C_3\}$-free graphs containing an induced $C_7$, thereby settling the first of the two cases of a conjecture by Goedgebeur and Schaudt [J.~Graph Theory, 87:188--207, 2018]. Moreover, we show that all $\{P_5+P_1,C_3\}$-free graphs are $3$-colorable and by combining our result with known results from the literature, we completely characterize the maximum chromatic number of $\{F,C_3\}$-free graphs if $F$ is a six-vertex induced subgraph of $P_7$. Finally, we construct an infinite family of $4$-vertex-critical $\{4K_2,C_3\}$-free graphs. These graphs are also $\{P_{11},C_3\}$-free and this is the first value of $t$ for which an infinite family of $4$-vertex-critical $\{P_{t},C_3\}$-free graphs is known. |
| title | Three-coloring triangle-free graphs without long forbidden paths |
| topic | Combinatorics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.12349 |