Weakly linked embeddings of pairs of complete graphs in R^3

DOI10.37236/10322MaRDI QIDQ2138585zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Yanyan Li

Publication date 12 May 2022

Published in The Electronic Journal of Combinatorics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.11030

IPFS File on IPFS (Hint: this is only the Hash - if you get a timeout, this file is not available on our server.)

zbMATH Keywords

intrinsically linkedspatial graph

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Knot theory (57K10) Relations of low-dimensional topology with graph theory (57M15)

Abstract: Let $G$ and $H$ be disjoint embeddings of complete graphs $K_m$ and $K_n$ in $mathbb{R}^3$ such that some cycle in $G$ links a cycle in $H$ with non-zero linking number. We say that $G$ and $H$ are *weakly linked* if the absolute value of the linking number of any cycle in $G$ with a cycle in $H$ is $0$ or $1$. Our main result is an algebraic characterisation of when a pair of disjointly embedded complete graphs is weakly linked. As a step towards this result, we show that if $G$ and $H$ are weakly linked, then each contains either a vertex common to all triangles linking the other or a triangle which shares an edge with all triangles linking the other. All families of weakly linked pairs of complete graphs are then characterised by which of these two cases holds in each complete graph.

Review text

Let \(G\) and \(H\) be disjoint embeddings of complete graphs \(K_m\) and \(K_n\) in \({\mathbb R}^3\) such that some cycle in \(G\) links a cycle in \(H\) with non-zero linking number. We say that \(G\) and \(H\) are \textit {weakly linked} if the absolute value of the linking number of any cycle in \(G\) with a cycle in \(H\) is \(0\) or \(1\). The authors' main result is an algebraic characterisation of when a pair of disjointly embedded complete graphs is weakly linked. As a step towards this result, they show that if \(G\) and \(H\) are weakly linked, then each contains either a vertex common to all triangles linking the other or a triangle that shares an edge with all triangles linking the other. All families of weakly linked pairs of embedded complete graphs are then characterised by which of these two cases holds in each complete graph. The authors build the results up in stages, first characterizing weak linking between a simple closed curve and an embedded complete graph \(K_n\), then between a \(\theta\) curve and \(K_n\), then \(K_4\) and \(K_n\). They conclude with a brief discussion of the problem of determining the least \(n\) such that every embedding of \(K_n\) contains a pair of cycles that are not weakly linked. The value \(n=9\) is conjectured to be the least such \(n\), but it is not yet proven. Techniques that apply for \(n>9\) use ``pasting of linked cycles together (see, for example [\textit{E. Flapan} et al., Topology Appl. 115, No. 2, 239--246 (2001; Zbl 0988.57003)]). These techniques do not seem to work for \(n=9\).

Recommendations

• Capturing links in spatial complete graphs
• ON THE SIZE OF LINKS IN K_{n, n}, K_{n, n, 1}, AND K_n
• Intrinsically triple linked complete graphs
• Intrinsically linked graphs with knotted components
• Intrinsic knotting and linking of complete graphs

Cites work

• Counting links in complete graphs
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3831963 (Why is no real title available?)
• Intrinsic knotting and linking of complete graphs
• Intrinsically n-linked complete graphs
• Intrinsically triple linked complete graphs
• Knots and links in spatial graphs
• Linear embeddings of \(K_{9}\) are triple linked
• Sachs' linkless embedding conjecture

Cited in

(2)

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 645859 (Why is no real title available?)
• Linear embeddings of simple graphs in \(\mathbb R^{3}\)

This page was built for publication: Weakly linked embeddings of pairs of complete graphs in \(\mathbb{R}^3\)

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2138585)