Some Algebraic Methods for Calculating the Number of Colorings of a Graph

Abstract

With an arbitrary graph G having n vertices and m edges, and with an arbitrary natural number p, we associate in a natural way a polynomial R(x ₁,...,x _n) with integer coefficients such that the number of colorings of the vertices of the graph G in p colors is equal to p ^m-n R(0,...,0). Also with an arbitrary maximal planar graph G, we associate several polynomials with integer coefficients such that the number of colorings of the edges of the graph G in 3 colors can be calculated in several ways via the coefficients of each of these polynomials. Bibliography: 2 titles.