Subgraphs, closures and hamiltonicity (Q1329802)

Closure theorems have the following type: Let \(G = (V,E)\) be a 2- connected graph, and let \(u\), \(v\) be two distinct nonadjacent vertices in \(G\). If some condition \(c(u,v)\) holds, then \(G\) is hamiltonian if and only if the graph \(G + uv\) obtained from \(G\) by adding edge \(uv\) is hamiltonian. For instance, in the classical theorem of \textit{J. A. Bondy} and \textit{V. Chvátal} [Discrete Math. 15, 111-135 (1976; Zbl 0331.05138)], \(c(u,v)\) is the condition \(d_ G(u) + d_ G(v) \geq | V|\). In the paper under review, several other closure theorems are proven. One typical example for a condition \(c(u,v)\) is `There are two neighbors of \(u\) which are only adjacent to \(u\), \(v\), or neighbors of \(v\).' For some, but not all, of these conditions \(c(u,v)\), theorems of the following type are proven: If for every two vertices \(u\), \(v\) of distance 2 and degree smaller than \({1\over 2} | V|\) the condition \(c(u,v)\) is fulfilled, then \(G\) is hamiltonian.