The road problem and homomorphisms of directed graphs

TL;DR

This paper advances the understanding of a generalized road coloring problem in directed graphs, providing new solutions for specific cases, establishing a universal property of graph homomorphisms, and offering polynomial-time algorithms.

Contribution

It introduces solutions to two new families of generalized road coloring cases and proves a universal property for graph homomorphism fiber products.

Findings

Resolved two new families of generalized road coloring cases

Proved a universal property for fiber products of graph homomorphisms

Developed polynomial-time algorithms for related problems

Abstract

We make progress on a generalization of the road (colouring) problem. The road problem was posed by Adler-Goodwyn-Weiss and solved by Trahtman. The generalization was posed, and solved in certain special cases, by Ashley-Marcus-Tuncel. We resolve two new families of cases, of which one generalizes the road problem and follows Trahtman's solution, and the other generalizes a result of Ashley-Marcus-Tuncel with a proof quite different from theirs. Along the way, we prove a universal property for the fiber product of certain graph homomorphisms, which may be of independent interest. We provide polynomial-time algorithms for relevant constructions and decision problems.