The Doyen-Wilson theorem for maximum packings of \(K_n\) with 4-cycles (Q1382820)

An edge-disjoint collection \(P\) of 4-cycles of the complete graph \(K_n\) with \(n\) vertices is said to be a packing of \(K_n\) with 4-cycles. The set of edges of \(K_n\) not belonging to a 4-cycle in \(P\) is called the leave of \(P\). If \(| P|\) is maximum among all packings of \(K_n\) with 4-cycles, then \(P\) is called a maximum packing of \(K_n\) with 4-cycles. The authors describe necessary and sufficient conditions to embed a maximum packing of \(K_m\) with 4-cycles into a maximum packing of \(K_n\) with 4-cycles, both when the leave of the given packing is preserved, and when the leave is not necessarily preserved.