DMGT

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https://doi.org/10.7151/dmgt

Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory

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Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory

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Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory 25(3) (2005) 331-343
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7151/dmgt.1286

THE DIRECTED PATH PARTITION CONJECTURE

Marietjie Frick and Susan van Aardt

Department of Mathematical Sciences
University of South Africa
P.O. Box 392, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
e-mail: frickm@unisa.ac.za
e-mail: vaardsa@unisa.ac.za

Gcina Dlamini

Department of Mathematics, University of Swaziland
Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, M 201, Swaziland
e-mail: DLAMINIG@science.uniswa.sz

Jean Dunbar

Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302, USA
e-mail: Jean.Dunbar@converse.edu

Ortrud Oellermann

Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Winnipeg
Manitoba R3B 2E9 Canada
e-mail: o.oellermann@uwinnipeg.ca

Abstract

The Directed Path Partition Conjecture is the following: If D is a digraph that contains no path with more than λ vertices then, for every pair (a,b) of positive integers with λ = a+b, there exists a vertex partition (A,B) of D such that no path in D⟨A⟩ has more than a vertices and no path in D⟨B⟩ has more than b vertices.We develop methods for finding the desired partitions for various classes of digraphs.

Keywords: longest path, Path Partition Conjecture, vertex partition, digraph, prismatic colouring.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C20, 05C38, 05C15.

References

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Received 18 March 2004
Revised 28 October 2004


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