On the location of chromatic zeros of series-parallel graphs (Q6170518)

Summary: In this paper we consider the zeros of the chromatic polynomial of series-parallel graphs. Complementing a result of \textit{A. D. Sokal} [Comb. Probab. Comput. 13, No. 2, 221--261 (2004; Zbl 1100.05040)], giving density outside the disk \(|q-1|\leqslant 1\), we show density of these zeros in the half plane \(\Re(q)>3/2\) and we show there exists an open region \(U\) containing the interval \((0,32/27)\) such that \(U\setminus\{1\}\) does not contain zeros of the chromatic polynomial of series-parallel graphs. We also disprove a conjecture of \textit{A. D. Sokal} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 327, 173--226 (2005; Zbl 1110.05020)] by showing that for each large enough integer \(\Delta\) there exists a series-parallel graph for which all vertices but one have degree at most \(\Delta\) and whose chromatic polynomial has a zero with real part exceeding \(\Delta\).