English

Weak Limited Augmented Zarankiewicz Number

Combinatorics 2026-07-08 v1 Optimization and Control

Abstract

We introduce the weak limited augmented Zarankiewicz number zWL(m,n)z_{WL}(m,n) by relaxing the generalized cycle-free conditions previously used to establish lower bounds for the biquadratic sum-of-squares (SOS) rank. The key innovation is a recursive weakening of Condition~2: we define a dependency graph on nondegenerate 2-edges and require that it be acyclic, together with a technical condition that if a nondegenerate 2-edge has both opposite cells occupied by 1-edges, then the associated biquadratic form must decompose as a direct sum of independent blocks. We prove that these weak conditions suffice for irreducibility of the associated doubly simple biquadratic form, yielding the inequality chain BSR(m,n)zWL(m,n)zL(m,n)z(m,n), \operatorname{BSR}(m,n) \ge z_{WL}(m,n) \ge z_L(m,n) \ge z(m,n), where BSR(m,n)\operatorname{BSR}(m,n) is the maximum SOS rank among all m×nm\times n biquadratic forms, zL(m,n)z_L(m,n) is the limited augmented Zarankiewicz number, and z(m,n)z(m,n) is the classical Zarankiewicz number. As a concrete application, we construct a 5×35 \times 3 augmented graph with two 2-edges that satisfies the weak conditions but violates the original definition. This establishes zWL(5,3)10, z_{WL}(5,3) \ge 10, improving the previous limited augmented value zL(5,3)=9z_L(5,3)=9. Consequently, BSR(5,3)10. \operatorname{BSR}(5,3) \ge 10.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.07071,
  title  = {Weak Limited Augmented Zarankiewicz Number},
  author = {Liqun Qi and Chunfeng Cui and Yi Xu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.07071},
  year   = {2026}
}