B1.5

Combinatorics | Part II, 2004

State and prove Menger's theorem (vertex form).

Let GG be a graph of connectivity κ(G)≥k\kappa(G) \geq k and let S,TS, T be disjoint subsets of V(G)V(G) with ∣S∣,∣T∣≥k|S|,|T| \geq k. Show that there exist kk vertex disjoint paths from SS to TT.

The graph HH is said to be kk-linked if, for every sequence s1,…,sk,t1,…,tks_{1}, \ldots, s_{k}, t_{1}, \ldots, t_{k} of 2k2 k distinct vertices, there exist si−tis_{i}-t_{i} paths, 1≤i≤k1 \leq i \leq k, that are vertex disjoint. By removing an edge from K2kK_{2 k}, or otherwise, show that, for k⩾2k \geqslant 2, HH need not be kk-linked even if κ(H)≥2k−2\kappa(H) \geq 2 k-2.

Prove that if ∣H∣=n|H|=n and δ(H)≥12(n+3k)−2\delta(H) \geq \frac{1}{2}(n+3 k)-2 then HH is kk-linked.

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