existence of a certain subset of vertices in a graph











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Take an undirected graph $G=(V,E)$. For any subset $Msubseteq V$, we define ${rm deg}_M(v)=|{kin M:(v,k)in E}|$, namely, the number of neighbors of $v$ in $M$.



Is it true that, there exists a subset $Msubseteq V$ such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$, and for every $v'in Vsetminus M$, ${rm deg}_M(v')geq 4$?



Note that, some obvious cases. If nobody are friends, we can simply take $V$ to be the entire set. Similarly, if $G$ is fully connected, then any $4-$element subset work. I tried to reason in the following way, take a maximal (in the sense of cardinality) $M$, such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$. Now, for any point outside, if it has $geq 4$ neighbors, we are done. If not, then there are points in $M$, which are neighbors of $v$, such that, their in$-M$ degree is precisely $3$, but this did not lead me to anywhere.










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    Take an undirected graph $G=(V,E)$. For any subset $Msubseteq V$, we define ${rm deg}_M(v)=|{kin M:(v,k)in E}|$, namely, the number of neighbors of $v$ in $M$.



    Is it true that, there exists a subset $Msubseteq V$ such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$, and for every $v'in Vsetminus M$, ${rm deg}_M(v')geq 4$?



    Note that, some obvious cases. If nobody are friends, we can simply take $V$ to be the entire set. Similarly, if $G$ is fully connected, then any $4-$element subset work. I tried to reason in the following way, take a maximal (in the sense of cardinality) $M$, such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$. Now, for any point outside, if it has $geq 4$ neighbors, we are done. If not, then there are points in $M$, which are neighbors of $v$, such that, their in$-M$ degree is precisely $3$, but this did not lead me to anywhere.










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      Take an undirected graph $G=(V,E)$. For any subset $Msubseteq V$, we define ${rm deg}_M(v)=|{kin M:(v,k)in E}|$, namely, the number of neighbors of $v$ in $M$.



      Is it true that, there exists a subset $Msubseteq V$ such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$, and for every $v'in Vsetminus M$, ${rm deg}_M(v')geq 4$?



      Note that, some obvious cases. If nobody are friends, we can simply take $V$ to be the entire set. Similarly, if $G$ is fully connected, then any $4-$element subset work. I tried to reason in the following way, take a maximal (in the sense of cardinality) $M$, such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$. Now, for any point outside, if it has $geq 4$ neighbors, we are done. If not, then there are points in $M$, which are neighbors of $v$, such that, their in$-M$ degree is precisely $3$, but this did not lead me to anywhere.










      share|cite|improve this question













      Take an undirected graph $G=(V,E)$. For any subset $Msubseteq V$, we define ${rm deg}_M(v)=|{kin M:(v,k)in E}|$, namely, the number of neighbors of $v$ in $M$.



      Is it true that, there exists a subset $Msubseteq V$ such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$, and for every $v'in Vsetminus M$, ${rm deg}_M(v')geq 4$?



      Note that, some obvious cases. If nobody are friends, we can simply take $V$ to be the entire set. Similarly, if $G$ is fully connected, then any $4-$element subset work. I tried to reason in the following way, take a maximal (in the sense of cardinality) $M$, such that, for every $vin M$, ${rm deg}_M(v)leq 3$. Now, for any point outside, if it has $geq 4$ neighbors, we are done. If not, then there are points in $M$, which are neighbors of $v$, such that, their in$-M$ degree is precisely $3$, but this did not lead me to anywhere.







      co.combinatorics graph-theory






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      asked Nov 22 at 23:50









      kawa

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          Let us consider all sets $M$ with $d_M(v)le 3$ for all $vin M$ (I'll write $d$ instead of $rm{deg}$) and choose the set that maximizes
          $$
          |M|-frac 14 E(M)
          $$

          where $E(M)$ is the number of edges between the vertices in $M$.
          Assume that there is a vertex $w$ with $d_M(w)le 3$. We can try to add it to $M$ but it may spoil some its neighbors in $M$ (those that had degree $3$ in $M$ already). Then we may just delete the bad neighbors one by one as long as their degree is $4$ (after the first deletion we can improve other vertices too, so we may delete only part of spoiled neighbors and the rest may get their low degree recovered). If we do $k$ deletions, we get $|M|to |M|+1-k$, $E(M)to le E(M)+3-4k$, which certainly increases the functional by at least $frac 14$. Thus the trivial algorithm (add a vertex and remove the resulting conflicts, if any, one by one) works and achieves the desired result in $4|V|$ steps at the worst.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
            – bof
            Nov 23 at 5:49










          • @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
            – fedja
            Nov 23 at 22:19










          • At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
            – bof
            Nov 24 at 12:46












          • The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
            – bof
            22 hours ago











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          Let us consider all sets $M$ with $d_M(v)le 3$ for all $vin M$ (I'll write $d$ instead of $rm{deg}$) and choose the set that maximizes
          $$
          |M|-frac 14 E(M)
          $$

          where $E(M)$ is the number of edges between the vertices in $M$.
          Assume that there is a vertex $w$ with $d_M(w)le 3$. We can try to add it to $M$ but it may spoil some its neighbors in $M$ (those that had degree $3$ in $M$ already). Then we may just delete the bad neighbors one by one as long as their degree is $4$ (after the first deletion we can improve other vertices too, so we may delete only part of spoiled neighbors and the rest may get their low degree recovered). If we do $k$ deletions, we get $|M|to |M|+1-k$, $E(M)to le E(M)+3-4k$, which certainly increases the functional by at least $frac 14$. Thus the trivial algorithm (add a vertex and remove the resulting conflicts, if any, one by one) works and achieves the desired result in $4|V|$ steps at the worst.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
            – bof
            Nov 23 at 5:49










          • @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
            – fedja
            Nov 23 at 22:19










          • At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
            – bof
            Nov 24 at 12:46












          • The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
            – bof
            22 hours ago















          up vote
          8
          down vote



          accepted










          Let us consider all sets $M$ with $d_M(v)le 3$ for all $vin M$ (I'll write $d$ instead of $rm{deg}$) and choose the set that maximizes
          $$
          |M|-frac 14 E(M)
          $$

          where $E(M)$ is the number of edges between the vertices in $M$.
          Assume that there is a vertex $w$ with $d_M(w)le 3$. We can try to add it to $M$ but it may spoil some its neighbors in $M$ (those that had degree $3$ in $M$ already). Then we may just delete the bad neighbors one by one as long as their degree is $4$ (after the first deletion we can improve other vertices too, so we may delete only part of spoiled neighbors and the rest may get their low degree recovered). If we do $k$ deletions, we get $|M|to |M|+1-k$, $E(M)to le E(M)+3-4k$, which certainly increases the functional by at least $frac 14$. Thus the trivial algorithm (add a vertex and remove the resulting conflicts, if any, one by one) works and achieves the desired result in $4|V|$ steps at the worst.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
            – bof
            Nov 23 at 5:49










          • @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
            – fedja
            Nov 23 at 22:19










          • At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
            – bof
            Nov 24 at 12:46












          • The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
            – bof
            22 hours ago













          up vote
          8
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          8
          down vote



          accepted






          Let us consider all sets $M$ with $d_M(v)le 3$ for all $vin M$ (I'll write $d$ instead of $rm{deg}$) and choose the set that maximizes
          $$
          |M|-frac 14 E(M)
          $$

          where $E(M)$ is the number of edges between the vertices in $M$.
          Assume that there is a vertex $w$ with $d_M(w)le 3$. We can try to add it to $M$ but it may spoil some its neighbors in $M$ (those that had degree $3$ in $M$ already). Then we may just delete the bad neighbors one by one as long as their degree is $4$ (after the first deletion we can improve other vertices too, so we may delete only part of spoiled neighbors and the rest may get their low degree recovered). If we do $k$ deletions, we get $|M|to |M|+1-k$, $E(M)to le E(M)+3-4k$, which certainly increases the functional by at least $frac 14$. Thus the trivial algorithm (add a vertex and remove the resulting conflicts, if any, one by one) works and achieves the desired result in $4|V|$ steps at the worst.






          share|cite|improve this answer












          Let us consider all sets $M$ with $d_M(v)le 3$ for all $vin M$ (I'll write $d$ instead of $rm{deg}$) and choose the set that maximizes
          $$
          |M|-frac 14 E(M)
          $$

          where $E(M)$ is the number of edges between the vertices in $M$.
          Assume that there is a vertex $w$ with $d_M(w)le 3$. We can try to add it to $M$ but it may spoil some its neighbors in $M$ (those that had degree $3$ in $M$ already). Then we may just delete the bad neighbors one by one as long as their degree is $4$ (after the first deletion we can improve other vertices too, so we may delete only part of spoiled neighbors and the rest may get their low degree recovered). If we do $k$ deletions, we get $|M|to |M|+1-k$, $E(M)to le E(M)+3-4k$, which certainly increases the functional by at least $frac 14$. Thus the trivial algorithm (add a vertex and remove the resulting conflicts, if any, one by one) works and achieves the desired result in $4|V|$ steps at the worst.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered Nov 23 at 3:31









          fedja

          36.9k7106201




          36.9k7106201












          • And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
            – bof
            Nov 23 at 5:49










          • @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
            – fedja
            Nov 23 at 22:19










          • At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
            – bof
            Nov 24 at 12:46












          • The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
            – bof
            22 hours ago


















          • And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
            – bof
            Nov 23 at 5:49










          • @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
            – fedja
            Nov 23 at 22:19










          • At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
            – bof
            Nov 24 at 12:46












          • The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
            – bof
            22 hours ago
















          And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
          – bof
          Nov 23 at 5:49




          And of course the same argument shows that, for any nonnegative integer $d$ and any finite graph $G=(V,E)$, there is a set $Msubseteq V$ such that $M={xin V:|N(x)cap M|le d}$. Is this also true for infinite graphs?
          – bof
          Nov 23 at 5:49












          @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
          – fedja
          Nov 23 at 22:19




          @bof Hard to tell... Of course, when we have some sort of compactness principle, we can reduce the question to the finite case, but what would you do in the case of the unit distance graph for the points in $mathbb R^n$, for instance?
          – fedja
          Nov 23 at 22:19












          At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
          – bof
          Nov 24 at 12:46






          At least it's true for locally finite graphs, by compactness. Right?
          – bof
          Nov 24 at 12:46














          The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
          – bof
          22 hours ago




          The unit distance graph on $mathbb R^n$ is easy. The cases $n=0$ (finite graph) and $n=1$ (locally finite) are trivial. For $nge2$ an easy transfinite construction (with the axiom of choice of course) gets us a set $Asubsetmathbb R^n$ such that $|N(x)cap A|=0$ for $xin A$ while $|N(x)cap A|=|mathbb R|$ for $xinmathbb R^nsetminus A$.
          – bof
          22 hours ago


















           

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