On the roots of chromatic polynomials (Q1272480)

A 2-tree is a graph constructed from \(K_2\) by successively joining a new vertex to both vertices of an existing edge. The author shows the following: (1) The chromatic polynomial of a connected graph with \(n\) vertices and \(m\) edges has a root with modulus at least \((m-1)/(n- 2)\). (2) The moduli of all the roots are at most \((m-1)/(n- 2)\) if and only if the graph is a tree or a 2-tree. (3) The chromatic polynomial of a connected graph of order \(n\geq 4\), size \(m\), and fewer than \((m(m- n)+ n-1)/2(n- 2)\) triangles has a nonreal root. (4) There is a graph of order \(n\) whose chromatic polynomial has a root with imaginary part greater than \(\sqrt n/4\).