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The {\em discrepancy} of a matrix $M \in \mathbb{R}^{d \times n}$ is given by $\mathrm{DISC}(M) := \min_{\boldsymbol{x} \in \{-1,1\}^n} \|M\boldsymbol{x}\|_\infty$. An outstanding conjecture, attributed to Komlós, stipulates that $\mathrm{DISC}(M) = O(1)$, whenever $M$ is a Komlós matrix, that is, whenever every column of $M$ lies within the unit sphere. Our main result asserts that $\mathrm{DISC}(M + R/\sqrt{d}) \leq 1 + O(d^{-1/2})$ holds asymptotically almost surely, whenever $M \in \mathbb{R}^{d \times n}$ is Komlós, $R \in \mathbb{R}^{d \times n}$ is a Rademacher random matrix, $d = ω(1)$, and $n = \tilde ω(d^{5/4})$. We conjecture that $n = ω(d \log d)$ suffices for the same assertion to hold. The factor $d^{-1/2}$ normalising $R$ is essentially best possible.

Let $G$ be an $n$-vertex graph, where $\delta(G) \geq \delta n$ for some $\delta := \delta(n)$. A result of Bohman, Frieze and Martin from 2003 asserts that if $\alpha(G) = O \left(\delta^2 n \right)$, then perturbing $G$ via the addition of $\omega \left(\frac{\log(1/\delta)}{\delta^3} \right)$ random edges, asymptotically almost surely (a.a.s. hereafter) results in a Hamiltonian graph. This bound on the size of the random perturbation is only tight when $\delta$ is independent of $n$ and deteriorates as to become uninformative when $\delta = \Omega \left(n^{-1/3} \right)$. We prove several improvements and extensions of the aforementioned result. First, keeping the bound on $\alpha(G)$ as above and allowing for $\delta = \Omega(n^{-1/3})$, we determine the correct order of magnitude of the number of random edges whose addition to $G$ a.a.s. results in a pancyclic graph. Our second result ventures into significantly sparser graphs $G$; it delivers an almost tight bound on the size of the random perturbation required to ensure pancyclicity a.a.s., assuming $\delta(G) = \Omega \left((\alpha(G) \log n)^2 \right)$ and $\alpha(G) \delta(G) = O(n)$. Assuming the correctness of Chv\'atal's toughness conjecture, allows for the mitigation of the condition $\alpha(G) = O \left(\delta^2 n \right)$ imposed above, by requiring $\alpha(G) = O(\delta(G))$ instead; our third result determines, for a wide range of values of $\delta(G)$, the correct order of magnitude of the size of the random perturbation required to ensure the a.a.s. pancyclicity of $G$. For the emergence of nearly spanning cycles, our fourth result determines, under milder conditions, the correct order of magnitude of the size of the random perturbation required to ensure that a.a.s. $G$ contains such a cycle., Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures

Let $G$ be an $n$-vertex oriented graph. Let $t(G)$ (respectively $i(G)$) be the probability that a random set of $3$ vertices of $G$ spans a transitive triangle (respectively an independent set). We prove that $t(G) + i(G) \geq \frac{1}{9}-o_n(1)$. Our proof uses the method of flag algebras that we supplement with several steps that make it more easily comprehensible. We also prove a stability result and an exact result. Namely, we describe an extremal construction, prove that it is essentially unique, and prove that if $H$ is sufficiently far from that construction, then $t(H) + i(H)$ is significantly larger than $\frac{1}{9}$. We go to greater technical detail than is usually done in papers that rely on flag algebras. Our hope is that as a result this text can serve others as a useful introduction to this powerful and beautiful method., Comment: 51 pages, 11 figures

We show an $\Omega\big(\Delta^{\frac{1}{3}-\frac{\eta}{3}}\big)$ lower bound on the runtime of any deterministic distributed $\mathcal{O}\big(\Delta^{1+\eta}\big)$-graph coloring algorithm in a weak variant of the \LOCAL\ model. In particular, given a network graph \mbox{$G=(V,E)$}, in the weak \LOCAL\ model nodes communicate in synchronous rounds and they can use unbounded local computation. We assume that the nodes have no identifiers, but that instead, the computation starts with an initial valid vertex coloring. A node can \textbf{broadcast} a \textbf{single} message of \textbf{unbounded} size to its neighbors and receives the \textbf{set of messages} sent to it by its neighbors. That is, if two neighbors of a node $v\in V$ send the same message to $v$, $v$ will receive this message only a single time; without any further knowledge, $v$ cannot know whether a received message was sent by only one or more than one neighbor. Neighborhood graphs have been essential in the proof of lower bounds for distributed coloring algorithms, e.g., \cite{linial92,Kuhn2006On}. Our proof analyzes the recursive structure of the neighborhood graph of the respective model to devise an $\Omega\big(\Delta^{\frac{1}{3}-\frac{\eta}{3}}\big)$ lower bound on the runtime for any deterministic distributed $\mathcal{O}\big(\Delta^{1+\eta}\big)$-graph coloring algorithm. Furthermore, we hope that the proof technique improves the understanding of neighborhood graphs in general and that it will help towards finding a lower (runtime) bound for distributed graph coloring in the standard \LOCAL\ model. Our proof technique works for one-round algorithms in the standard \LOCAL\ model and provides a simpler and more intuitive proof for an existing $\Omega(\Delta^2)$ lower bound.

Given a fixed graph $H$ and a positive integer $n$, a Picker-Chooser $H$-game is a biased game played on the edge set of $K_n$ in which Picker is trying to force many copies of $H$ and Chooser is trying to prevent him from doing so. In this paper we conjecture that the value of the game is roughly the same as the expected number of copies of $H$ in the random graph $G(n,p)$ and prove our conjecture for special cases of $H$ such as complete graphs and trees.

For a finite set $X$, a family of sets ${\mathcal F} \subseteq 2^X$ and a positive integer $q$, we consider two types of two player, perfect information games with no chance moves. In each round of the $(1 : q)$ Waiter-Client game $(X, {\mathcal F})$, the first player, called Waiter, offers the second player, called Client, $q+1$ elements of the board $X$ which have not been offered previously. Client then chooses one of these elements which he claims and the remaining $q$ elements to go back to Waiter. Waiter wins this game if by the time every element of $X$ has been claimed by some player, Client has claimed all elements of some $A \in {\mathcal F}$; otherwise Client is the winner. Client-Waiter games are defined analogously, the main difference being that Client wins the game if he manages to claim all elements of some $A \in {\mathcal F}$ and Waiter wins otherwise. In this paper we study the Waiter-Client and Client-Waiter versions of the non-planarity, $K_t$-minor and non-$k$-colorability games. For each such game, we give a fairly precise estimate of the unique integer $q$ at which the outcome of the game changes from Client's win to Waiter's win. We also discuss the relation between our results, random graphs, and the corresponding Maker-Breaker and Avoider-Enforcer games.

Let $\mc{K}_{3,3}^3$ be the 3-graph with 15 vertices $\{x_i, y_i: 1 \le i \le 3\}$ and $\{z_{ij}: 1 \le i,j \le 3\}$, and 11 edges $\{x_1, x_2, x_3\}$, $\{y_1, y_2, y_3\}$ and $\{\{x_i, y_j, z_{ij}\}: 1 \le i,j \le 3\}$. We show that for large $n$, the unique largest $\mc{K}_{3,3}^3$-free 3-graph on $n$ vertices is a balanced blow-up of the complete 3-graph on 5 vertices. Our proof uses the stability method and a result on lagrangians of intersecting families that has independent interest.

In a seminal paper, Alon and Tarsi have introduced an algebraic technique for proving upper bounds on the choice number of graphs (and thus, in particular, upper bounds on their chromatic number). The upper bound on the choice number of $G$ obtained via their method, was later coined the \emph{Alon-Tarsi number of $G$} and was denoted by $AT(G)$. They have provided a combinatorial interpretation of this parameter in terms of the eulerian subdigraphs of an appropriate orientation of $G$. Their characterization can be restated as follows. Let $D$ be an orientation of $G$. Assign a weight $\omega_D(H)$ to every subdigraph $H$ of $D$: if $H \subseteq D$ is eulerian, then $\omega_D(H) = (-1)^{e(H)}$, otherwise $\omega_D(H) = 0$. Alon and Tarsi proved that $AT(G) \leq k$ if and only if there exists an orientation $D$ of $G$ in which the out-degree of every vertex is strictly less than $k$, and moreover $\sum_{H \subseteq D} \omega_D(H) \neq 0$. Shortly afterwards, for the special case of line graphs of $d$-regular $d$-edge-colorable graphs, Alon gave another interpretation of $AT(G)$, this time in terms of the signed $d$-colorings of the line graph. In this paper we generalize both results. The first characterization is generalized by showing that there is an infinite family of weight functions (which includes the one considered by Alon and Tarsi), each of which can be used to characterize $AT(G)$. The second characterization is generalized to all graphs (in fact the result is even more general -- in particular it applies to hypergraphs). We then use the second generalization to prove that $\chi(G) = ch(G) = AT(G)$ holds for certain families of graphs $G$. Some of these results generalize certain known choosability results.

Combinatorica, 29 (5), ISSN:0209-9683, ISSN:1439-6912