Independence number of edge-chromatic critical graphs

TL;DR

This paper proves new upper bounds on the independence number of edge-chromatic critical graphs, showing it is less than half of the vertices under certain degree conditions, advancing Vizing's conjecture.

Contribution

It establishes that for large minimum and maximum degrees, the independence number of $ ext{edge-chromatic critical graphs}$ is less than half the number of vertices, improving previous bounds.

Findings

$ ext{Independence number}<(rac{1}{2}+ ext{small } ext{epsilon})n$ under degree constraints.

Specific bounds for $ ext{independence number}$ when minimum degree $d=3,4$ and $d o ext{large}$.

Progress towards Vizing's conjecture on the independence number of critical graphs.

Abstract

Let $G$ be a simple graph with maximum degree $\Delta(G)$ and chromatic index $\chi'(G)$. A classic result of Vizing indicates that either $\chi'(G )=\Delta(G)$ or $\chi'(G )=\Delta(G)+1$. The graph $G$ is called $\Delta$-critical if $G$ is connected, $\chi'(G )=\Delta(G)+1$ and for any $e\in E(G)$, $\chi'(G-e)=\Delta(G)$. Let $G$ be an $n$-vertex $\Delta$-critical graph. Vizing conjectured that $\alpha(G)$, the independence number of $G$, is at most $\frac{n}{2}$. The current best result on this conjecture, shown by Woodall, is that $\alpha(G)<\frac{3n}{5}$. We show that for any given $\varepsilon\in (0,1)$, there exist positive constants $d_0(\varepsilon)$ and $D_0(\varepsilon)$ such that if $G$ is an $n$-vertex $\Delta$-critical graph with minimum degree at least $d_0$ and maximum degree at least $D_0$, then $\alpha(G)<(\frac{{1}}{2}+\varepsilon)n$. In particular, we show that if $G$ is an $n$-vertex $\Delta$-critical graph with minimum degree at least $d$ and $\Delta(G)\ge (d+2)^{5d+10}$, then \[ \alpha(G) < \left. \begin{cases} \frac{7n}{12}, & \text{if $d= 3$; } \frac{4n}{7}, & \text{if $d= 4$; } \frac{d+2+\sqrt[3]{(d-1)d}}{2d+4+\sqrt[3]{(d-1)d}}n<\frac{4n}{7}, & \text{if $d\ge 19$. } \end{cases} \right. \]