Davies’s theorem and the coloring number of graphs

We generalize Davies’s famous example to a property of graphs: a graph <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="left-parenthesis upper V comma upper X right-parenthesis"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(V,X)</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is <italic>Davies</italic> if for every <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper F colon upper X right-arrow double-struck upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F:X\to \mathbb {R}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , there is a collection <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartSet g Subscript v Baseline colon v element-of upper V EndSet"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">{</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo> ∈ </mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">}</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\{g_v:v\in V\}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="omega right-arrow double-struck upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\omega \to \mathbb {R}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> functions such that <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper F left-parenthesis v comma w right-parenthesis equals sigma-summation Underscript n greater-than omega Endscripts g Subscript v Baseline left-parenthesis n right-parenthesis g Subscript w Baseline left-parenthesis n right-parenthesis"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:munder> <mml:mo> ∑ </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:munder> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F(v,w)=\sum _{n&gt;\omega } g_v(n)g_w(n)</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> for <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartSet v comma w EndSet element-of upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">{</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">}</mml:mo> <mml:mo> ∈ </mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\{v,w\}\in X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> . We show that if <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="normal upper C normal o normal l left-parenthesis upper X right-parenthesis less-than-or-equal-to omega 1"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">C</mml:mi> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">o</mml:mi> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">l</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo> ≤ </mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathrm {Col}(X)\leq \omega _1</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartAbsoluteValue upper X EndAbsoluteValue less-than-or-equal-to German c"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo stretchy="false">|</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo stretchy="false">|</mml:mo> </mml:mrow>

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society
Published
2026-04-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1090/proc/16540
Primary Topic
Limits and Structures in Graph Theory
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Davies’s theorem and the coloring number of graphs

Péter Komjáth
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society
Limits and Structures in Graph Theory
article

Davies’s theorem and the coloring number of graphs

Péter Komjáth
article en

Abstract

We generalize Davies’s famous example to a property of graphs: a graph <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="left-parenthesis upper V comma upper X right-parenthesis"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(V,X)</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is <italic>Davies</italic> if for every <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper F colon upper X right-arrow double-struck upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F:X\to \mathbb {R}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , there is a collection <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartSet g Subscript v Baseline colon v element-of upper V EndSet"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">{</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo> ∈ </mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">}</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\{g_v:v\in V\}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="omega right-arrow double-struck upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\omega \to \mathbb {R}</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> functions such that <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper F left-parenthesis v comma w right-parenthesis equals sigma-summation Underscript n greater-than omega Endscripts g Subscript v Baseline left-parenthesis n right-parenthesis g Subscript w Baseline left-parenthesis n right-parenthesis"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:munder> <mml:mo> ∑ </mml:mo> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:munder> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F(v,w)=\sum _{n&gt;\omega } g_v(n)g_w(n)</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> for <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartSet v comma w EndSet element-of upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">{</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>w</mml:mi> <mml:mo fence="false" stretchy="false">}</mml:mo> <mml:mo> ∈ </mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\{v,w\}\in X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> . We show that if <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="normal upper C normal o normal l left-parenthesis upper X right-parenthesis less-than-or-equal-to omega 1"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">C</mml:mi> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">o</mml:mi> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">l</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo> ≤ </mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi> ω </mml:mi> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathrm {Col}(X)\leq \omega _1</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartAbsoluteValue upper X EndAbsoluteValue less-than-or-equal-to German c"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo stretchy="false">|</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mo stretchy="false">|</mml:mo> </mml:mrow>

Proceedings of the American Mathematical SocietyVol. 154(6)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Limits and Structures in Graph Theory
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