Hamiltonian maker-breaker games on small graphs

DOI10.1080/10586458.2019.1586599MaRDI QIDQ3383707zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Miloš Stojaković, Nikola Trkulja

Publication date 16 December 2021

Published in Experimental Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.07579

zbMATH Keywords

game theorygames on graphspositional gamesmaker-breaker games

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

2-person games (91A05) Games on graphs (graph-theoretic aspects) (05C57) Games involving graphs (91A43) Combinatorial games (91A46)

Abstract: We look at the unbiased Maker-Breaker Hamiltonicity game played on the edge set of a complete graph $K_n$, where Maker's goal is to claim a Hamiltonian cycle. First, we prove that, independent of who starts, Maker can win the game for $n=8$ and $n=9$. Then we use an inductive argument to show that, independent of who starts, Maker can win the game if and only if $ngeq8$. This, in particular, resolves in the affirmative the long-standing conjecture of Papaioannou. We also study two standard positional games related to Hamiltonicity game. For Hamiltonian Path game, we show that Maker can claim a Hamiltonian path if and only if $ngeq5$, independent of who starts. Next, we look at Fixed Hamiltonian Path game, where the goal of Maker is to claim a Hamiltonian path between two predetermined vertices. We prove that if Maker starts the game, he wins if and only if $ngeq7$, and if Breaker starts, Maker wins if and only if $ngeq8$. Using this result, we are able to improve the previously best upper bound on the smallest number of edges a graph on $n$ vertices can have, knowing that Maker can win the Maker-Breaker Hamiltonicity game played on its edges. To resolve the outcomes of the mentioned games on small (finite) boards, we devise algorithms for efficiently searching game trees and then obtain our results with the help of a computer.

Recommendations

• On two problems regarding the Hamiltonian cycle game
• Hamiltonian games
• A sharp threshold for the Hamilton cycle Maker–Breaker game
• Fast winning strategies in maker-breaker games
• A Hamiltonian game on \(K_{n,n}\)

Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3823850 (Why is no real title available?)
• A Hamiltonian Game
• Biased Positional Games
• Building spanning trees quickly in maker-breaker games
• Global maker-breaker games on sparse graphs
• On two problems regarding the Hamiltonian cycle game
• Positional games
• Practical graph isomorphism. II.
• The critical bias for the Hamiltonicity game is (1+𝑜(1))𝑛/ln𝑛

Cited in

(9)

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4006014 (Why is no real title available?)
• Maker-breaker domination game on trees when Staller wins
• On two problems regarding the Hamiltonian cycle game
• Hamiltonian games
• Fast winning strategies for staller in the maker-breaker domination game
• A Hamiltonian game on \(K_{n,n}\)
• Complexity of maker-breaker games on edge sets of graphs
• Thresholds for the monochromatic clique transversal game
• A sharp threshold for the Hamilton cycle Maker–Breaker game

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