English

An update on the middle levels problem

Combinatorics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

The middle levels problem is to find a Hamilton cycle in the middle levels, M_{2k+1}, of the Hasse diagram of B_{2k+1} (the partially ordered set of subsets of a 2k+1-element set ordered by inclusion). Previously, the best result was that M_{2k+1} is Hamiltonian for all positive k through k=15. In this note we announce that M_{33} and M_{35} have Hamilton cycles. The result was achieved by an algorithmic improvement that made it possible to find a Hamilton path in a reduced graph of complementary necklace pairs having 129,644,790 vertices, using a 64-bit personal computer.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0608485,
  title  = {An update on the middle levels problem},
  author = {Ian Shields and Brendan J. Shields and Carla D. Savage},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0608485},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

11 pages, 5 figures