Geometric Graph Theory

4. Exercise, 11. March, 2009 Wednesday 1015-1145, MA A1 12

In many of the following exercises we use the following simple statement. Let us assume that graph G has a planar embeddig for which the number of crossings is cr(G) and no neighboring edges cross each other (we can always suppose this about an optimal drawing). Denote the graph obtained by deleting a vertex v from G by Gv . Every such graph has a natural embedding - the same as the embedding of G except v and its edges. Denote by U a subset of the vertices V (G) such that every edge is incident to at least d vertices from U . We claim that (|U | 2d)cr(G) uU cr(Gu ). Indeed, a crossing disappears if one of its edges disappear, and this happens at least d times for both of its edges. 1. What is the crossing number of a) K3,3 ? b) K3,4 ? c) K4,4 ? d) K3,n ? Solution: a) It is not planar, thus it is at least 1, it is easy to nd such an embedding. b) An easy drawing shows that it is at most 2, while selecting U to be the class with 4 vertices we get that (4 2)cr(K3,4 ) 4cr(K3,3 ) = 4. c) An easy drawing shows that it is at most 4, while selecting U to be one class we get that (4 2)cr(K4,4 ) 4cr(K3,4 ) = 8. d) The example of the Zarankiewicz-conjecture shows that [n/2][(n 1)/2] crossings are enough. The lower bound can be proved by induction on n. We know that (n 2)cr(K3,n ) n cr(K3,n1 ) which implies n n cr(K3,n ) n cr(K3,n1 ) = n [(n 1)/2][(n 2)/2] = [n/2][(n 1)/2] where the last equality can 2 2 be veried separately for n even and odd. 2. Prove that lim cr(Kn,n )/n4 exists and it is positive. Solution: Taking U to be a part with n vertices we get that (n 2)cr(Kn,n ) n cr(Kn,n1 ) and (n 2)cr(Kn,n1 ) n cr(Kn1,n1 ). Putting these together cr(Kn,n ) (n2 /(n 2)2 )cr(Kn1,n1 ) implying cr(Kn,n )/n4 cr(Kn1,n1 )/n2 (n 2)2 cr(Kn1,n1 )/(n 1)4 , so the series is monotone decreasing, thus convergent. 3. a) Draw C3 as a thrackle. b) Draw C6 as a thrackle. c)(HW) Prove that any cycle of length at least ve can be drawn as a thrackle. Solution: See the scan on the homepage. Denition: We say that a graph is a thrackle if it has a planar drawing where every two neighboring edges cross an even and every two non-neighboring edges cross an odd number os times. 4. Show a graph that is a thrackle but not a thrackle. Solution: C4 . 5. Planar bipartite graphs are thrackles. Solution: See the scan solutions 5.pdf. 6. * At most how many edges can a thrackle have? Prove lower/upper bounds.
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