Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory 33(1) (2013)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7151/dmgt.1676

PREFACE

Professor Mieczysław Borowiecki made an enormous contribution to the development of discrete mathematics, especially to the theory of graphs, hypergraphs and matroids. He has published, among others, many papers on hereditary properties, colourings, domination and independence of graphs, operations on graphs and their properties, selected problems on the spectral theory of graphs and hypergraphs.

Under his guidance, regularly since 1974, every Thursday at 9.15 a seminar for students and researchers has been held. Thanks to him the seminar has always been a place full of ideas, problems and their solutions. In times when the access to information was not so common in Poland, it has also been the main source of specialized knowledge. We thank Professor Borowiecki for his enthusiasm and effort in sharing experience in research work.

Professor Borowiecki is an excellent teacher who is respected by his students. He eagerly cooperates and engages other people in his ideas. This resulted in many master and doctoral degree theses written under his guidance, but also many co-written papers. He co-organized an international group of scientists interested in the hereditary properties theory, a subject of his special favour, which contributed to the creation of a group called Hereditarnia. Its members annually meet for the Hereditarnia Workshop.

An important result of his work is the journal Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory. Historically, in 1975, because of M. Borowiecki, A. Grytczuk and M. Kisielewicz's initiative the first issue of Discussiones Mathematicae was published by Lubuskie Towarzystwo Naukowe. This issue included eleven papers on graph theory, mathematical analysis and number theory. In the following years the Institute of Mathematics of Higher Engineering College (Technical University of Zielona Góra subsequently) published two issues of the journal annually. In 1995, on the initiative of Professor Borowiecki, a series Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory was started with Professor Borowiecki being the Editor-in-chief. Since then Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory, as a seperate series, has been developed vigorously. Four issues per year are being published currently with proceedings written by many famous scientists from all over the world. The Editor-in-chief constantly ensures that high scientific and editorial standards of the journal are maintained.

In 2003, Professor Borowiecki organized the first Workshop on Graph Theory - Colourings, Independence and Domination; CID for short. This Workshop is the continuation of conferences that were organized since the 70's of the previous century for the mathematical society of Zielona Góra. During those conferences the section on graph theory has always been led by Professor Borowiecki. The CID Workshop is held every two years with participants from all the continents. The conference materials are published in a special edition of Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory.

Professor Mieczysław Borowiecki has also influenced the development of the University of Zielona Góra to a large extent. Holding the position of Dean of the Faculty and Principal of the Institute many times, he ensured the availability of a high level of the scientific and didactic staff continuously. He initiated a computer system, which rationalized and improved the Faculty's operation and which is now implemented in all the units of the University of Zielona Góra.

We are honoured to dedicate this volume of Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory to Professor Mieczysław Borowiecki, our teacher, master and friend.