English

Linear-Time Algorithms for Scattering Number and Hamilton-Connectivity of Interval Graphs

Data Structures and Algorithms 2013-01-28 v1

Abstract

Hung and Chang showed that for all k>=1 an interval graph has a path cover of size at most k if and only if its scattering number is at most k. They also showed that an interval graph has a Hamilton cycle if and only if its scattering number is at most 0. We complete this characterization by proving that for all k<=-1 an interval graph is -(k+1)-Hamilton-connected if and only if its scattering number is at most k. We also give an O(m+n) time algorithm for computing the scattering number of an interval graph with n vertices an m edges, which improves the O(n^4) time bound of Kratsch, Kloks and M\"uller. As a consequence of our two results the maximum k for which an interval graph is k-Hamilton-connected can be computed in O(m+n) time.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1301.5953,
  title  = {Linear-Time Algorithms for Scattering Number and Hamilton-Connectivity of Interval Graphs},
  author = {Hajo Broersma and Jiří Fiala and Petr A. Golovach and Tomáš Kaiser and Daniël Paulusma and Andrzej Proskurowski},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1301.5953},
  year   = {2013}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-21T23:15:05.557Z