Contractible edges and triangles in \(k\)-connected graphs (Q1850609)

A subgraph of a \(k\)-connected graph is contractible if its contraction results in a graph which is still \(k\)-connected. A well-known result of \textit{C. Thomassen} [J. Graph Theory 5, 351-354 (1981; Zbl 0498.05044)] states that every \(k\)-connected triangle-free graph contains a contractible edge. The author extends former generalizations of this result by proving that, for \(k\geq 3\), every \(k\)-connected and \(K_4^-\)-free graph contains a contractible edge or a contractible triangle (\(K_4^-\) denotes \(K_4\) minus an edge). For \(k=4\), a graph which does not contain a contractible edge or a contractible triangle is isomorphic to the square of a cycle. Moreover, if \(k\geq 5\), then a \(D\)-free \(k\)-connected graph contains a contractible edge, where \(D=K_1+2K_2\) when \(k\) is even and \(D\) is the graph obtained by attaching a triangle to a vertex of degree \(3\) to \(K_4^-\).