Hadwiger's conjecture (ḵ\(=6):\) Neighbour configurations of 6-vertices in contraction-critical graphs (Q1119593)

A simple graph G is k-chromatic contraction-critical if G has chromatic number k but the simple graph associated with every proper contraction of G has chromatic number less than k. In this terminology, Hadwiger's conjecture asserts that the only k-chromatic contraction-critical graph is \(K_ k\). This paper concentrates on the first unsolved case of this conjecture, the case \(k=6\). In particular, the author investigates those subgraphs that can be induced by the neighbours of a vertex of degree six in a 6-chromatic contraction-critical graph G that is not isomorphic to \(K_ 6\). He proves that there are only eight possible such subgraphs and that, moreover, if two degree-6 vertices in G are adjacent, then their sets of neighbours induce isomorphic graphs of one of just three types.