On the evaluation of the Tutte polynomial at the points (1,-1) and (2,-1)

• Published in: Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science
• Main Authors: Goodall, Andrew, Merino, Criel, de Mier, Anna, Noy, Marc
• Other Authors: Department of Applied Mathematics and Institute of Theoretical Computer Science (Charles University), Charles University Prague (CU), Instituto de Matematicas (UNAM), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona (UPC), Bousquet-Mélou, Mireille and Wachs, Michelle and Hultman, Axel
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: Tutte polynomial; increasing tree; threshold graph; generating function; up-down permutation; [MATH.MATH-CO]Mathematics [math]/Combinatorics [math.CO]; [INFO.INFO-DM]Computer Science [cs]/Discrete Mathematics [cs.DM]; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal.inria.fr/hal-01215102; https://hal.inria.fr/hal-01215102/document; https://hal.inria.fr/hal-01215102/file/dmAO0137.pdf; https://doi.org/10.46298/dmtcs.2921

International audience C. Merino [Electron. J. Combin. 15 (2008)] showed that the Tutte polynomial of a complete graph satisfies $t(K_{n+2};2,-1)=t(K_n;1,-1)$. We first give a bijective proof of this identity based on the relationship between the Tutte polynomial and the inversion polynomial for trees. Next we move to our main result, a sufficient condition for a graph G to have two vertices u and v such that $t(G;2,-1)=t(G-\{u,v\};1,-1)$; the condition is satisfied in particular by the class of threshold graphs. Finally, we give a formula for the evaluation of $t(K_{n,m};2,-1)$ involving up-down permutations. C. Merino [Electron. J. Combin. 15 (2008)] a montré que le polynôme de Tutte du graphe complet satisfait $t(K_{n+2};2,-1)=t(K_n;1,-1)$. Le rapport entre le polynôme de Tutte et le polynôme d'inversions d'un arbre nous permet de donner une preuve bijective de cette identité. Le résultat principal du travail est une condition suffisante pour qu'un graphe ait deux sommets u et v tels que $t(G;2,-1)=t(G-\{u,v\};1,-1)$; en particulier, les graphes ``threshold'' satisfont cette condition. Finalement, nous donnons une formule pour $t(K_{n,m};2,-1)$ qui fait intervenir les permutations alternées.