On graphs with $1$-matching and $2$-matching edges
Abstract
Let be a graph admitting a perfect matching. An edge is called a {\it -matching edge} if it belongs to exactly perfect matchings, and a {\it -matching edge} if it belongs to at least perfect matchings. Thus, {\it an admissible edge} is a -matching edge, and a connected graph is {\it matching covered} if every edge is admissible. We call a connected graph {\it -matching covered} if every edge is a -matching edge; in particular, a -matching covered graph is called {\it matching double covered}. Motivated by matching-covered graph theory and the Berge--Fulkerson conjecture (1970s), we introduce the class of connected graphs in which every edge is either a -matching edge or a -matching edge, and no perfect matching contains edges of both types. In particular, every matching double covered graph belongs to . Using ear decompositions and tight-cut decompositions, we establish a complete structural characterization of graphs in . These characterizations reveal how restrictions on the number of perfect matchings containing each edge determine the global structure of the corresponding matching-covered graphs.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.06921,
title = {On graphs with $1$-matching and $2$-matching edges},
author = {Yixuan Gao and Xiumei Wang and Jinfeng Liu},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.06921},
year = {2026}
}