On 3-total edge product cordial labeling of a carbon nanotube network (Q2176162)

In order to state the results of this paper, we firstly present the concept of the \(k\)-total edge product cordial labeling, which was introduced by \textit{A. Azaizeh} et al. [Far East J. Math. Sci. (FJMS) 96, No. 2, 193--209 (2015; Zbl 1312.05117)]. Let \(G=(V(G),E(G))\) be a simple graph and let \(k\) be an integer, \(2 \leq k \leq |E(G)|\). An edge labeling \(\varphi : E(G) \rightarrow \lbrace 0, 1, \ldots, k-1 \rbrace\) induces a vertex labeling \(\varphi^\ast : V(G) \rightarrow \lbrace 0, 1, \ldots, k-1 \rbrace\) defined by \(\varphi^\ast(v) = \varphi(e_1) \cdot \varphi(e_2)\cdot \ldots \cdot\varphi(e_n) \pmod k\), where \(e_1, e_2, \ldots, e_n\) are the edges incident to the vertex \(v\). For any \(i, 0 \leq i \leq k-1\), let \(e_{\varphi}(i)\) and \(v_{\varphi^\ast}(i)\) be the number of edges \(e\) and vertices \(v\) with \(\varphi(e)=i\) and \(\varphi^\ast(v)=i\), respectively. The function \(\varphi\) is called a \(k\)-total edge product cordial labeling of \(G\) if \(|(e_{\varphi}(i) + v_{\varphi^\ast}(i))-(e_{\varphi}(j) + v_{\varphi^\ast}(j))| \leq 1\) for every \(i\), \(j\), \(0 \leq i < j \leq k-1\). A graph \(G\) with a \(k\)-total edge product cordial labeling is called \(k\)-total edge product cordial graph. Next, we define two types of nanotubes. Let \(m \geq 3\) and \(n \geq 2\) be two integers. A quadrilateral section of the regular hexagonal lattice with \(m\) hexagons on the top and bottom sides and \(n\) hexagons on the lateral sides will be denoted by \(P_m^n\). By identifying two lateral sides of \(P_m^n\) we obtain the nanotube \(\mathbb{NA}_m^n\). Now suppose that \(n\) is an even number. If we rotate the quadrilateral section \(P_m^n\) in a clockwise direction for 90 degrees about its center, the quadrilateral section \(H_n^m\) is obtained. By identifying two lateral sides of \(H_n^m\), we obtain the nanotube \(\mathbb{NC}_n^m\). Note that in the literature the nanotubes \(\mathbb{NA}_m^n\) and \(\mathbb{NC}_n^m\) are also known as zig-zag and armchair nanotubes, respectively. Finally, the two main results of the present paper can be stated. 1. For every \(n\) odd, \(n \geq 1\) and \(m \geq 3\), the nanotube \(\mathbb{NA}_m^n\) is a 3-total edge product cordial graph. 2. For \(m \geq 3\) and \(n\) even, \(n \geq 2\), the nanotube \(\mathbb{NC}_{n+4}^m\) is a 3-total edge product cordial graph. Both results are proved by describing a construction on how to obtain a 3-total edge product cordial labeling. However, finding a construction of 3-total edge product cordial labeling for the nanotube \(\mathbb{NA}_m^n\), for \(n\) even, is left as an open problem.