IOSR Journal of Mathematics (IOSR-JM)

e-ISSN: 2278-5728, p-ISSN: 2319-765X. Volume 11, Issue 3 Ver. V (May - Jun. 2015), PP 51-53
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Total Coloring of Some Cycle Related Graphs

S.K. Vaidya1, Rakhimol V. Isaac2
1

(Department of Mathematics, Saurashtra University, Rajkot - 360005, Gujarat, India)

2
(Department of Mathematics, Christ College, Rajkot - 360005, Gujarat, India)

Abstract: A total coloring of a graph G is a proper coloring with additional property that no two adjacent or
incident graph elements receive the same color. The total chromatic number of a graph G is the smallest
positive integer for which G admits a total coloring. Here, we investigate the total chromatic number of some
cycle related graphs.
Keywords: Middle graph, One point union of cycles, Shadow graph, Total coloring, Total chromatic number,
Total graph.
I.

Introduction

We begin with finite, connected and undirected graph G , without loops and parallel edges, with vertex
set V (G ) and edge set E (G ) . The vertices and edges are commonly addressed as graph elements. For any

k -coloring of a graph G is a
function c : V (G) 1, 2,..., k such that c u c v , for all uv E (G ) . The chromatic number
(G ) is the minimum integer k for which the graph G admits a proper coloring. Some variants of graph
coloring are also introduced. Some of them are a - coloring, b - coloring, total coloring etc. The present work
graph theoretic terminology we refer to Chartrand and Lesniak [1]. A proper

is focused on total coloring of graphs.

A function : V (G) E (G) N is called a total coloring if no two adjacent or incident graph
elements are assigned the same color. The total chromatic number of
positive integer

G , denoted by T (G ) , is the smallest

k for which there exists a total coloring : V (G) E (G) 1, 2,..., k . The Total

Coloring Conjecture(TCC) was posed independently by Behzad [2] and Vizing [3] which states that,
For any graph G , T (G ) (G ) 2 .
The TCC is open even after many efforts to settle it. It is proved for particular graph families. For e.g.,
Rosenfeld [4] and Vijayaditya [5] proved it for graphs G having (G ) 3 . A survey on total coloring of
graphs is given in a paper by Behzad [6] . The TCC for complete graphs and complete multi partite graphs have
been proved by Behzad et al. [7] and Yap [8]. The work of Yap [9], Andersen [10], Sanders and Zhao [11] as
well as Borodin [12] reveals that the TCC is true for planar graphs G having (G ) 5 . The concept of total
coloring is further explored by Xie and Yang [13], Wang [14] and Wang et al . [15].
In the present work we investigate the total chromatic number for the graphs obtained from cycle by
means of various graph operations.
Conjecture 1.1 [2]

(G ) 1 T (G ) (G ) 2 .

Proposition 1.2 [2]

A graph

G is said to be of type I if T (G ) (G ) 1 and is of

type II if

(G ) (G ) 2 .
T

Proposition 1.3 [16] Any 4- regular multigraph can be total colored with six colors
Proposition 1.4 [17] A cycle of length congruent to 0(mod 3) is of type I graph and all other cycles are
of type II graphs.

II.

Main Results

G is the graph whose vertex set is V (G) E (G) and in

which two vertices are adjacent whenever either they are adjacent edges of G or one is vertex of G and other
Definition 2.1 A middle graph M (G) of a graph
is an edge incident with it.
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11355153

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Total Coloring of Some Cycle Related Graphs

Theorem 2.2

( M (Cn )) =5, for all n .

Proof:

V (Cn ) v1, v2 ,..., vn and E(Cn ) e1, e2 ,..., en . Thus, V ( M (Cn )) = { v1 , v2 ,..., vn ,

Let

e1 , e2 ,..., en } . We observe that in M (Cn ) , the vertices e1 , e2 ,..., en forms a cycle of length n .
When n 0(mod 3) , the colors 1, 2 and 3 can be assigned on vertices and edges successively for
the total coloring. For the remaining edges incident on each ei , we must use two new colors, say 4 and 5,
successively. The colors 3, 2 and 1 successively can be assigned on the vertices v1 , v2 ,..., vn . Thus only 5
colors suffice for the total coloring.
When n 0(mod 3) , we are considering following two cases:
Case 1 : If the cycle formed by the vertices e1 , e2 ,..., en has length

2k ; k 2 .

The colors 1 and 2 can be used on consecutive vertices and the colors 3 and 4 on edges of the cycle.
For the remaining edges incident on ei with color 1 we can use the colors 2 and 5, and the edges incident on ei
with color 2 we can use the colors 1 and 5. Thus only 5 colors suffice to color all the elements of M (Cn ) .

2k 1 ; k 2 .
We can assign the colors as (ei ) 1 for odd i , (ei ) 2 for even i and (e2 k 1 ) 3 ,
(ei ei 1 ) 3 for odd i , (ei ei 1 ) 4 for even i , (e1e2 k 1 ) 2 , (v1e1 ) 4 , (vi ei ) 2 for odd
i 1 , (vi ei ) 1 for even i , (ei vi 1 ) 5 , (e2 k 1v2 k 1 ) 1 , (e2 k 1v1 ) 5 . Thus only 5 colors
suffice to color all the elements of M (Cn ) . Hence T ( M (Cn )) =5 for all n .
Case 2 : If the cycle formed by the vertices e1 , e2 ,..., en has length

T (G ) of a graph G is the graph whose vertex set is V (G) E (G) and two
vertices are adjacent whenever they are either adjacent or incident in G .
Definition 2.3 A total graph

5, n 3
6, n 3.

Theorem 2.4

(T (Cn ))

Proof:

V (Cn ) v1, v2 ,..., vn and E(Cn ) e1, e2 ,..., en . Thus, V (T (Cn )) = { v1 , v2 ,..., vn ,

Let

e1 , e2 ,..., en } = V ( M (Cn )) and E (T (Cn )) = E ( M (Cn )) vi vi 1; i 1, 2,..., n 1 v1vn .

As T (Cn ) is a regular graph with

= 4, (T (Cn )) (G) 2 = 6 by Proposition 1.3.

By the definition of T (Cn ) , M (Cn ) T (Cn ) ,

(T (Cn )) ( M (Cn )) =5.

T

When n = 3, assign the colors as in M (Cn ) and for the edges v1v2 , v2 v3 and v3 v1 , we can use the
colors which is same as the colors used for ei ; i = 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Thus

(T (C3 )) =5.
T

When n 3, as each vertex is adjacent to exactly four vertices of same order and due to the adjacency

and incidence of elements, five colors will not suffice for the total coloring. Thus

(T (Cn )) 5. Hence
T

(T (Cn )) =6.
T

The Shadow graph D2 (G ) of a connected graph

G is constructed by taking two copies of

G , say G and G . Join each vertex u in G to the neighbors of the corresponding vertex u in G .

Definition 2.5

Theorem 2.6

( D2 (Cn )) = (Cn ) +2.

T

DOI: 10.9790/5728-11355153

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Total Coloring of Some Cycle Related Graphs

Proof: D2 (Cn ) , the shadow graph of C n is constructed by taking two copies of C n , say
each vertex

Cn and Cn . Join

u in Cn to the neighbors of the corresponding vertex u in Cn . It is clear that vi and vi are

Cn and Cn .
Also T (Cn ) =3 when n 0(mod 3) and 4 otherwise. Now, D2 (Cn ) is a regular graph with

non adjacent. So we can assign the same colors for the elements of both

vivi are non adjacent to each other. Only two new colors are required for the
coloring of these edges. Thus T ( D2 (Cn )) = T (Cn ) +2.
degree four and the edges

Definition 2.7

The one point union Cn

(k )

of

k -copies of cycle C n is the graph obtained by taking v as a

common vertex such that any two distinct cycles C n

(i )

and Cn

( j)

are edge disjoint and do not have any

vertex in common except v .

Theorem 2.8

(Cn( k ) ) = 2 k +1, k 2
T

, for all n .
(k )

k -copies of cycle C n with the common vertex v . By the

construction of the graph d (v) =2 k , so we need minimum 2 k +1 colors for the total coloring of the vertex
v and the edges incident on it. As the remaining vertices are adjacent to maximum two vertices, we need only
(k )
2 k +1 colors for the total coloring of the graph. Thus, (Cn ) =2 k +1, for all n and k 2 .
T
Proof:

Consider the one point union Cn

III.

of

Concluding Remarks

The total chromatic number of C n was investigated by Rosenfeld [4]. But we have explored the
concept of total coloring for the larger graphs obtained from C n . We have investigated the total chromatic
numbers for middle graph, total graph, shadow graph of cycle as well as one point union of cycles.

Acknowledgement
The authors are highly thankful to the anonymous referees for their kind suggestions and comments.

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DOI: 10.9790/5728-11355153

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