Related papers: Slicewise definability in first-order logic with b…
Computing the smallest number $q$ such that the vertices of a given graph can be properly $q$-colored is one of the oldest and most fundamental problems in combinatorial optimization. The $q$-Coloring problem has been studied intensively…
We say that a first order formula $\Phi$ defines a graph $G$ if $\Phi$ is true on $G$ and false on every graph $G'$ non-isomorphic with $G$. Let $D(G)$ be the minimal quantifier rank of a such formula. We prove that, if $G$ is a tree of…
It follows from the famous Fagin's theorem that all problems in NP are expressible in existential second-order logic (ESO), and vice versa. Indeed, there are well-known ESO characterizations of NP-complete problems such as 3-colorability,…
The classical zero-one law for first-order logic on random graphs says that for any first-order sentence $\phi$ in the theory of graphs, as n approaches infinity, the probability that the random graph G(n, p) satisfies $\phi$ approaches…
We discuss the definability of finite graphs in first-order logic with two relation symbols for adjacency and equality of vertices. The logical depth $D(G)$ of a graph $G$ is equal to the minimum quantifier depth of a sentence defining $G$…
Classes with bounded rankwidth are MSO-transductions of trees and classes with bounded linear rankwidth are MSO-transductions of paths. These results show a strong link between the properties of these graph classes considered from the point…
The notion of bounded expansion captures uniform sparsity of graph classes and renders various algorithmic problems that are hard in general tractable. In particular, the model-checking problem for first-order logic is fixed-parameter…
We study the problem of distinguishing between two independent samples $\mathbf{G}_n^1,\mathbf{G}_n^2$ of a binomial random graph $G(n,p)$ by first order (FO) sentences. Shelah and Spencer proved that, for a constant $\alpha\in(0,1)$,…
Classes with bounded rankwidth are MSO-transductions of trees and classes with bounded linear rankwidth are MSO-transductions of paths -- a result that shows a strong link between the properties of these graph classes considered from the…
Let $v(F)$ denote the number of vertices in a fixed connected pattern graph $F$. We show an infinite family of patterns $F$ such that the existence of a subgraph isomorphic to $F$ is expressible by a first-order sentence of quantifier depth…
It is well known [Lov\'asz, 67] that up to isomorphism a graph~$G$ is determined by the homomorphism counts $\hom(F, G)$, i.e., the number of homomorphisms from $F$ to $G$, where $F$ ranges over all graphs. Thus, in principle, we can answer…
Descriptive complexity theory aims at inferring a problem's computational complexity from the syntactic complexity of its description. A cornerstone of this theory is Fagin's Theorem, by which a graph property is expressible in existential…
Logical transductions provide a very useful tool to encode classes of structures inside other classes of structures. In this paper we study first-order (FO) transductions and the quasiorder they induce on infinite classes of finite graphs.…
Let $\mathscr C$ be a class of finite and infinite graphs that is closed under induced subgraphs. The well-known {\L}o\'s-Tarski Theorem from classical model theory implies that $\mathscr C$ is definable in first-order logic (FO) by a…
We introduce the concept of a class of graphs, or more generally, relational structures, being locally tree-decomposable. There are numerous examples of locally tree-decomposable classes, among them the class of planar graphs and all…
By Fagin's Theorem, NP contains precisely those problems that can be described by formulas starting with an existential second-order quantifier, followed by only first-order quantifiers (ESO formulas). Subsequent research refined this…
Graph coloring problems are a central topic of study in the theory of algorithms. We study the problem of partially coloring partially colorable graphs. For $\alpha \leq 1$ and $k \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, we say that a graph $G=(V,E)$ is…
First-order logic is known to have limited expressive power over finite structures. It enjoys in particular the locality property, which states that first-order formulae cannot have a global view of a structure. This limitation ensures on…
Algorithmic meta-theorems provide an important tool for showing tractability of graph problems on graph classes defined by structural restrictions. While such results are well established for static graphs, corresponding frameworks for…
Let $\mathcal{C}$ be a proper minor-closed class of graphs. Given the minors excluded in $\mathcal{C}$, we determine the maximum $q$-centered chromatic number and the maximum $q$th weak coloring number of graphs in $\mathcal{C}$ within an…