English

Reconfiguration graph for vertex colorings for ($P_2$+$P_3$, $C_4$)-free graphs

Combinatorics 2026-02-25 v2

Abstract

For a graph GG, let χ(G)\chi(G) denote the chromatic number of GG. Given a graph GG, the reconfigurationreconfiguration graphgraph forfor thethe kk-coloringscolorings of GG, denoted by Rk(G){\cal R}_k(G), is the graph whose vertices are the kk-colorings of GG and two kk-colorings are joined by an edge if they differ on exactly one vertex of GG. A graph GG is kk-mixingmixing if Rk(G){\cal R}_k(G) is connected, and is recolorablerecolorable if it is kk-mixing for all k>χ(G)k> \chi(G). In this paper, we give a complete characterization of (P2+P3,C4)(P_2+P_3, C_4)-free graphs that are recolorable. Moreover, we show that if GG is a recolorable (P2+P3,C4)(P_2+P_3, C_4)-free graph, then for any k>χ(G)k >\chi(G), the diameter of Rk(G){\cal R}_k(G) is at most 2n2n^{2}. Furthermore, we show that if GG is a (P2+P3,C4P_2+P_3, C_4)-free graph on nn vertices with degeneracy ρ(G)\rho(G), then for all k>ρ(G)+1k > \rho(G)+ 1, the diameter of Rk(G){\cal R}_k(G) is at most O(n2)O(n^2). This confirms a conjecture of Cereceda for the class of (P2+P3,C4P_2+P_3, C_4)-free graphs. These results generalize some known results available in the literature.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.2509.03190,
  title  = {Reconfiguration graph for vertex colorings for ($P_2$+$P_3$, $C_4$)-free graphs},
  author = {M. Belavadi and T. Karthick},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.03190},
  year   = {2026}
}

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18 pages