English

Squared chromatic number without claws or large cliques

Combinatorics 2019-08-15 v3 Discrete Mathematics

Abstract

Let GG be a claw-free graph on nn vertices with clique number ω\omega, and consider the chromatic number χ(G2)\chi(G^2) of the square G2G^2 of GG. Writing χs(d)\chi'_s(d) for the supremum of χ(L2)\chi(L^2) over the line graphs LL of simple graphs of maximum degree at most dd, we prove that χ(G2)χs(ω)\chi(G^2)\le \chi'_s(\omega) for ω{3,4}\omega \in \{3,4\}. For ω=3\omega=3, this implies the sharp bound χ(G2)10\chi(G^2) \leq 10. For ω=4\omega=4, this implies χ(G2)22\chi(G^2)\leq 22, which is within 22 of the conjectured best bound. This work is motivated by a strengthened form of a conjecture of Erd\H{o}s and Ne\v{s}et\v{r}il.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1609.08646,
  title  = {Squared chromatic number without claws or large cliques},
  author = {Wouter Cames van Batenburg and Ross J. Kang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1609.08646},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

13 pages; v2 corrects for a subtlety in the original derivation of Thm 1.2; v3 accepted to Canadian Mathematical Bulletin

R2 v1 2026-06-22T16:03:24.146Z