Removable cycles in non-bipartite graphs (Q2519012)

Suppose that \(s\) and \(t\) are vertices of a \(3\)-connected graph \(G\) such that \(G-s-t\) is not bipartite and there is no cutset \(X\) of size three in \(G\) for which some component \(U\) of \(G-X\) is disjoint from \(\{s,t\}\). Then either (1) \(G\) contains an induced path \(P\) from \(s\) to \(t\) such that \(G-V(P)\) is not bipartite or (2) \(G\) can be embedded in the plane so that every odd face contains one of \(s\) and \(t\). If \(G\) is 5-connected then (1) must hold and \(P\) can be chosen so that \(G-V(P)\) is 2-connected. This result is related to a conjecture of Lovász that for every positive integer \(k\) there is \(f(k)\) such that for any two vertices \(s\) and \(t\) in an \(f(k)\)-connected graph, there is an \(s-t\) path \(P\) such that \(G-V(P)\) is \(k\)-connected.