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Circular Game Coloring of Signed Graphs

Combinatorics 2025-05-29 v1

Abstract

We extend the theory of circular game chromatic numbers to signed graphs by defining the invariant χcg(G,σ)\chi_c^g(G,\sigma) for signed graphs (G,σ)(G,\sigma). Our analysis establishes tight bounds dependent on the structural properties of the underlying graph GG and its signature σ\sigma. Building on the foundational framework of Lin and Zhu \cite{LinZhu2009}, we demonstrate that the circular game chromatic number of a balanced signed graph (G,σ)(G, \sigma) equals that of its underlying graph GG, i.e., χcg(G,σ)=χcg(G)\chi_c^g(G,\sigma) = \chi_c^g(G). For antibalanced signed graphs, we prove that χcg(G,σ)\chi_c^g(G,\sigma) does not exceed the chromatic number of GG plus one, with tightness demonstrated for odd cycles. A dichotomy emerges for bipartite graphs: χcg(G,σ)\chi_c^g(G,\sigma) equals 22 when the graph is balanced, and otherwise remains bounded above by 33. These results rely on switching equivalence principles (Lemma \ref{lem:Zaslavsky}) and critical properties of fundamental cycles (Lemma \ref{lem:ForcingTree}), adapting classical techniques from unsigned graph theory to the signed context. We further highlight open questions regarding computational complexity and planar graph extensions, creating new bridges between combinatorial game theory and signed graph structural analysis.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2505.21586,
  title  = {Circular Game Coloring of Signed Graphs},
  author = {Pie Desire Ebode Atanhgana},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.21586},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

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R2 v1 2026-07-01T02:44:09.594Z