Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) International Journal of Computing Algorithm

Volume: 06 Issue: 02 December 2017 Page No.59-63

ISSN: 2278-2397

Skew Chromatic Index of Theta Graphs

Joice Punitha M.1, S. Rajakumari2
1
Department of Mathematics, Bharathi Women’s College (Autonomous) Chennai - 600108, Tamil Nadu, India
2
Department of Mathematics, R. M. D. Engineering College, Kavaraipettai – 601206, Tamil Nadu, India
Email: [email protected]

Abstract—A two edge coloring of a graph G is said be a . Hence . Suppose

skew edge coloring if no two edges of G are assigned the if ‘k’ colors are used for skew edge coloring, then there are
same unordered pair of colors. The least number of colors
required for a skew edge coloring of G is called its skew unordered pairs of colors and this number must be
chromatic index denoted by s(G). This article provides a
method for skew edge coloring of uniform theta and quasi- greater than or equal to the number of edges in G. Let k(m)
uniform theta graphs as two component colorings by
defining two mappings f and g from the edge set E(G) to the denote the smallest integer ‘k’ satisfying where
set of colors {1, 2, 3, …, k}. The minimum number of colors
k which is known as the skew chromatic index is determined ‘m’ denotes the number of edges in G. Thus the best lower
depending upon the number of edges of G. This work also bound for s(G) is [6]. This
proves that the bound on the skew chromatic index work mainly proves that the bound on the skew chromatic
is sharp for the family of graphs index given here is sharp for uniform theta and quasi-
considered for skew edge coloring. uniform theta graphs.

Keywords—edge coloring; skew chromatic index; III. UNIFORM THETA GRAPHS

generalized theta graph; uniform theta graph; quasi-uniform
theta graph Definition 3.1: [10] A graph which consists
I. INTRODUCTION of two end vertices namely north pole (N) and south pole (S)
joined by n internally disjoint paths called longitudes (L) of
Edge coloring problems in graphs arise in several computer length greater than one is called a generalized theta graph,
science disciplines [1]. One of which is register allocation and the number of internal vertices in each longitude
during code generation in a computer programming
language compiler. This article considers a finite and being
simple graph G whose vertex set is V and edge set is E. A Definition 3.2: [10] A uniform theta graph is a
proper edge coloring of G is an assignment of colors to the generalized theta graph with l longitudes such
edges such that adjacent edges are assigned different colors
[2]. The least number of colors required for such an edge that , and being the number of
coloring of G is its chromatic index denoted by .
internal vertices in . See Fig. 1.
Vizing [3] has shown that for any simple graph G, is
either or , where is the highest degree
of a graph G. Edge coloring problem has been proved to be
NP-complete by Holyer [4]. This work includes skew edge
coloring problems which are motivated from the analysis of
skew Room squares [5]. Marsha introduced skew chromatic
index and the related concepts [6]. The skew chromatic
index s(G) have already been determined for comb, ladder,
Mobius ladder and circular ladder graphs. [7, 8]. An
assignment of color pairs of the form to each edge
of G such that (i) the ’s and the ’s separately form
component edge colorings of G and (ii) all these pairs are
distinct is called a skew edge coloring of G.
All the notations and definitions which appear in this article
are the same as in [9].

II. LOWER BOUND ON SKEW CHROMATIC INDEX

The component coloring of a skew edge coloring is itself (a) (b)

an edge coloring and therefore we have . Fig. 1. (a) (b)
But Vizing’s theorem states that for any simple graph,
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Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) International Journal of Computing Algorithm
Volume: 06 Issue: 02 December 2017 Page No.59-63
ISSN: 2278-2397
Theorem 3.1: A uniform theta graph , and
is skew edge colorable.
Proof: Consider a uniform theta graph ,
and

Define the mappings and

as follows where k is the smallest

positive integer satisfying . i.e., where ‘q’ is the quotient in each case mod k. Thus
defines a proper edge coloring and is called the second
component coloring of . The two component
, the number of edges of the graph.
colorings of defined by and is as
For , define follows. The first ‘k’ edges are assigned the colors of the
form (c, c), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k. In the second set of ‘k’ edges,
the first k – 1 edges are assigned the colors of the form (c, c
+ 1), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k – 1. The kth edge is assigned the color
(k, 1) as the ordered pair (k, k + 1) is not permissible. In the
third set of ‘k’ edges, the first k – 2 edges are assigned the
colors of the form (c, c + 2), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k – 2. The (k –
1)th and the kth edge are assigned the colors (k – 1, 1) and (k,
2) respectively as the ordered pairs (k – 1, k + 1) and (k, k +
2) are not permissible. Thus the pairs of colors
assigned to each edge in are all distinct and forms
the skew edge coloring of G. See Fig. 2.

Theorem 3.2: Let and be a

uniform theta graph. Then

The mapping assigns the different colors

to the l edges incident to the vertex N. The assignment of
colors to any two adjacent edges on each of the longitudes Li
and to the edges incident to the vertex S is a proper coloring.
Suppose then are
in the same residue class [r] modulo k. This is true if and
only if . This implies , a
contradiction. Thus defines a proper edge coloring and
is called the first component coloring of .

For , define

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Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) International Journal of Computing Algorithm
Volume: 06 Issue: 02 December 2017 Page No.59-63
ISSN: 2278-2397
(a) (b) (c)
.
Fig. 2. (a) First component coloring of
(b) Second component coloring of
(c) Skew edge coloring of with s(G) = 7 Here and
Proof: Since there are (n + 1)l edges in G, its skew edge Define the mappings and
coloring will require at least (n + 1)l pairs of colors. If ‘k’
as follows where k is the smallest
colors are used for coloring, then there are
positive integer satisfying

unordered pairs. This . Therefore fix ‘k’ in For , define

such a way that . It follows that

This is a quadratic equation in ‘k’.

Its solution gives the required value of s(G) = k =

By comparing with the bound on s(G) as discussed in

section II, the skew chromatic index obtained is equivalent
to k(|E(G)|) which is an optimal solution for the skew
chromatic index of uniform theta graphs for
and . Hence for a given , we
immediately obtain its s(G) by a simple manipulation.

IV. QUASI UNIFORM THETA GRAPHS

In this section, we determine the skew chromatic index of

quasi-uniform theta graphs for and .

Definition 4.1: [10] A quasi-uniform theta graph is a

generalized theta graph with l longitudes such

that , and being the number

of internal vertices in . It is said to be even or odd
according as is even or odd. It is obvious that
The following two cases arise when we color the remaining
every uniform theta graph is also an even quasi-uniform
theta graph. edges
See Fig. 3.
on the longitude
Theorem 4.1: Let G be a quasi-uniform theta graph (even or
odd) with l longitudes and n vertices on each
and vertices on , where
, and Then G admits
skew edge coloring and its skew chromatic index is

Proof: Let where

be a quasi-uniform theta
graph with and .

Let and

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Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) International Journal of Computing Algorithm
Volume: 06 Issue: 02 December 2017 Page No.59-63
ISSN: 2278-2397
Thus defines a proper edge coloring and is called the
first component coloring of the quasi-uniform theta graph.

The following two cases arise when we color the remaining

edges

on the longitude

(a) (b)
Fig. 3. (a) Odd quasi-uniform theta graph
(b) Even quasi-uniform theta graph

For , define

where ‘q’ is the quotient in each case mod k. Thus

defines a proper edge coloring and is called the second
component coloring of the quasi-uniform theta graph. The
two component colorings defined by and
for each edge in the quasi-uniform theta graph
are all distinct and thus give the skew
edge coloring of G. The first ‘k’ edges are assigned the
colors of the form (c, c), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k. In
the second set of ‘k’ edges, the first k – 1 edges are assigned
the colors of the form (c, c + 1), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k –
1. The kth edge is assigned the color (k, 1) as the ordered pair
(k, k + 1) is not permissible. In the third set of ‘k’ edges, the
first k – 2 edges are assigned the colors of the form (c, c +
2), c = 1, 2, 3, …, k – 2. The (k – 1)th and the kth edge are
assigned the colors (k – 1, 1) and (k, 2) respectively as the
ordered pairs (k – 1, k + 1) and (k, k + 2) are not permissible.
Thus the pairs of colors assigned to each edge in the
quasi-uniform theta graph are all distinct and forms the skew
edge coloring of G. See Fig. 4.

Proceeding as in Theorem 3.2, an optimal s(G) for

quasi-uniform theta graph is obtained as

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Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) International Journal of Computing Algorithm
Volume: 06 Issue: 02 December 2017 Page No.59-63
ISSN: 2278-2397
By comparing with the bound on s(G) as discussed in Annals of Pure and Applied Mathematics, vol. 8, No. 2,
Section II, the skew chromatic index obtained is equivalent pp. 1-7, 2014.
to k(|E(G)|) which is an optimal solution for the skew [9] J.A. Bondy, U.S.R. Murty, Graph theory with
chromatic index of quasi-uniform theta graphs. applications, Macmillan, London, 1976.
[10] Bharathi Rajan, Indra Rajasingh, P. Venugopal, “Metric
dimension of uniform and quasi-uniform theta graphs,”
J.Comp. & Math. Sci, vol. 2(1), pp.37-46, 2011.

(a) (b)
Fig. 4. (a) Quasi-uniform theta graph with l longitudes
(b) Odd quasi-uniform with n = 4 and t = 3

V. CONCLUSION

The skew edge coloring and hence the skew chromatic index
of uniform theta and quasi-uniform theta graphs is obtained.
Determining the skew chromatic index of other
interconnection networks is quite interesting. Finding the
skew chromatic index of cyclic snakes is under
consideration.

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