On contracting graphs to fixed pattern graphs

Pim Van'T Hof, Marcin Kamiński, Daniël Paulusma, Stefan Szeider, Dimitrios M. Thilikos

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

For a fixed graph H, the H-Contractibility problem asks if a graph is H-contractible, i.e., can be transformed into H via a series of edge contractions. The computational complexity classification of this problem is still open. So far, H has a dominating vertex in all cases known to be polynomially solvable, whereas H does not have such a vertex in all cases known to be NP-complete. Here, we present a class of graphs H with a dominating vertex for which H-Contractibility is NP-complete. We also present a new class of graphs H for which H-Contractibility is polynomially solvable. Furthermore, we study the (H,v)-Contractibility problem, where v is a vertex of H. The input of this problem is a graph G and an integer k. The question is whether G is H-contractible such that the "bag" of G corresponding to v contains at least k vertices. We show that this problem is NP-complete whenever H is connected and v is not a dominating vertex of H.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSOFSEM 2010
Subtitle of host publicationTheory and Practice of Computer Science - 36th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Proceedings
Pages503-514
Number of pages12
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010
Event36th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2010 - Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic
Duration: Jan 23 2010Jan 29 2010

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume5901 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference36th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2010
Country/TerritoryCzech Republic
CitySpindleruv Mlyn
Period1/23/101/29/10

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science

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