An Ore-type condition for hamiltonicity in tough graphs and the extremal examples (Q6194261)

Summary: Let \(G\) be a \(t\)-tough graph on \(n\geqslant 3\) vertices for some \(t>0\). It was shown by \textit{D. Bauer} et al. in [Discrete Math. 141, No. 1--3, 1--10 (1995; Zbl 0831.05039)] that if the minimum degree of \(G\) is greater than \(\frac{n}{t+1}-1\), then \(G\) is hamiltonian. In terms of Ore-type hamiltonicity conditions, the problem was only studied when \(t\) is between 1 and 2, and recently \textit{S. Shan} [Electron. J. Comb. 29, No. 1, Research Paper P1.5, 12 p. (2022; Zbl 1485.05098)] proved a general result. The result states that if the degree sum of any two nonadjacent vertices of \(G\) is greater than \(\frac{2n}{t+1}+t-2\), then \(G\) is hamiltonian. It was conjectured in the same paper that the ``\(+t\)'' in the bound \(\frac{2n}{t+1}+t-2\) can be removed. Here we confirm the conjecture. The result generalizes the result by Bauer et al. [loc. cit.]. Furthermore, we characterize all \(t\)-tough graphs \(G\) on \(n\geqslant 3\) vertices for which \(\sigma_2(G) = \frac{2n}{t+1}-2\) but \(G\) is non-hamiltonian.