An asymptotic result for the path partition conjecture (Q2571291)

The detour order of a graph \(G\), denoted by \(\tau(G)\), is the order of a longest path in \(G\). A partition of the vertex set of \(G\) into two sets, \(A\) and \(B\), such that \(\tau(\langle A\rangle)\leq a\) and \(\tau(\langle B\rangle)\leq b\) is called an \((a,b)\)-partition of \(G\). If \(G\) has an \((a,b)\)-partition for every pair \((a,b)\) of positive integers such that \(a+b=\tau(G)\), then we say that \(G\) is \(\tau\)-partitionable. The path partition conjecture, attributed to Lovász and Mihók, 1951, is that every graph is \(\tau\)-partionable. The main results of this nice paper are contained in the following two theorems: 1. Let \(G\) be a graph of order \(n\) and detour order \(\tau=n-p\), with \(0\leq p\leq3\). Then \(G\) is \(\tau\)-partionable. 2. Let \(G\) be a graph of order \(n\) and detour order \(\tau=n-p\) with \(p\geq4\). Then \(G\) is \(\tau\)-partitionable, provided \(n\geq p(10p-3)\).