No label defined (Q4537252)

The authors consider star decompositions of some joins of graphs \(G\) and \(H\) (where \(H\) is a node, say \(x\)) and deduce various results on the number of node-disjoint decompositions into stars of these joins. Let \(G\) be a simple graph. An \(m\)-star (\(m \geq 0\)) is a tree, consisting of a node of degree (or valency) \(m\), called the centre, joined to \(m\) nodes of degree one. A star-cover of \(G\) is a spanning subgraph of \(G\), in which every component is a star. Let \(G + x\) be the graph that is formed by joining the component node \(x\) to every node of \(G.\) The authors call the graph \(G + x\) a suspended graph. When \(G\) is a chain \(G + x\) is called a fan. When \(G\) is a cycle the suspended graph \(G + x\) is called a wheel. The authors assign the weight \(w_m\) to a star with \(m\) nodes and define the general star polynomial \(E(G;{\mathbf w})\) and the simple star polynomial \(E(G;w)\) of \(G\). Here \({\mathbf w} = (w_{1}, \ldots, w_{p}).\) For \(E(G;w)\) they put \(w_{i} = w\) for all \(i.\) Formulae for the general and simple star polynomials of wheels, fans and suspended stars are given. The authors apply the results of simple star polynomials and give formulae for the number of decompositions into node disjoint stars of fans, wheels and suspended stars.