Skip to main content
Log in

Solution to a Problem of Grünbaum on the Edge Density of 4-Critical Planar Graphs

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Combinatorica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We show that \(\limsup |E(G)|/|V(G)| = 2.5\) over all 4-critical planar graphs G, answering a question of Grünbaum from 1988.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Not applicable.

References

  1. Abbott, H., Zhou, B.: The edge density of 4-critical planar graphs. Combinatorica 11, 185–189 (1991)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Dirac, G.: A theorem of R. L. Brooks and a conjecture of H. Hadwiger. Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. 3(1), 161–195 (1957)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Gallai, T.: Critical graphs. In: Theory of Graphs and its Applications, Proceedings of the Symposium held in Smolenice in June, pp. 43–45 (1963)

  4. Gallai, T.: Kritische Graphen II. Publ. Math. Inst. Hung. Acad. Sci. 8, 373–395 (1963)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Grünbaum, B.: The edge-density of 4-critical planar graphs. Combinatorica 8, 137–139 (1988)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. Koester, G.: Note to a problem of T. Gallai and G. A. Dirac. Combinatorica 5(3), 227–228 (1985)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Koester, G.: On 4-critical planar graphs with high edge density. Discret. Math. 98(2), 147–151 (1991)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  8. Kostochka, A., Yancey, M.: Ore’s conjecture on color-critical graphs is almost true. J. Comb. Theory Ser. B 109, 73–101 (2014)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. Li, J., Ma, Y., Shi, Y., Wang, W., Wu, Y.: On 3-flow-critical graphs. Eur. J. Comb. 100, 103451 (2022)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Ore, O.: The Four-Color Problem. Academic Press, Cambridge (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Stiebitz, M.: Subgraphs of colour-critical graphs. Combinatorica 7, 303–312 (1987)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. Toft, B.: On the maximal number of edges of critical k-chromatic graphs. Stud. Sci. Math. Hung. 5, 461–470 (1970)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Yao, T., Zhou, G.: Constructing a family of 4-critical planar graphs with high edge density. J. Graph Theory 86(2), 244–249 (2017)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank both referees for valuable comments that helped improved the presentation and clarity of arguments. Zdeněk Dvořák was supported by project 22-17398S (Flows and cycles in graphs on surfaces) of Czech Science Foundation. Carl Feghali was supported by the French National Research Agency under research Grant ANR DIGRAPHS ANR-19-CE48-0013-01.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carl Feghali.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dvořák, Z., Feghali, C. Solution to a Problem of Grünbaum on the Edge Density of 4-Critical Planar Graphs. Combinatorica (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00493-024-00100-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00493-024-00100-8

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation