Simple minimum coverings of \(K_n\) with copies of \(K_4 -e\) (Q2563685): Difference between revisions

The authors define a simple minimum covering of \(K_n\) (the complete graph on \(n\) vertices), \(\text{SMCK}_n\), with copies of \(K_4-e\) (the complete graph on four vertices with one edge deleted) as a pair \((S,C)\), where \(S\) is the vertex set of \(K_n\) and \(C\) is a collection of edge-disjoint copies of \(K_4-e\) which partition \(E(K_n)\cup P\), where \(P\subseteq E(K_n)\) is called the padding. (Note that when \(P=\varnothing\) an SMCK is a \(K_4-e\) design.) They show that the padding of an \(\text{SMCK}_n\) consists of two edges for \(n\equiv 3\) or \(8\pmod{10}\), \(n\geq 8\), whereas it consists of four edges when \(n\equiv 2, 4, 7\) or \(9\pmod{10}\), \(n\geq 9\). All possible graphs with two, four edges, respectively, can appear as a padding. For all small cases constructions are given and possible paddings are listed. The general construction uses recursive arguments relying on \(K_4-e\) designs with a hole and commutative quasigroups with holes of size two.