Skip to main content
Log in

Large triangle-free subgraphs in graphs withoutK 4

  • Published:
Graphs and Combinatorics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is shown that for arbitrary positiveε there exists a graph withoutK 4 and so that all its subgraphs containing more than 1/2 +ε portion of its edges contain a triangle (Theorem 2). This solves a problem of Erdös and Nešetřil. On the other hand it is proved that such graphs have necessarily low edge density (Theorem 4).

Theorem 3 which is needed for the proof of Theorem 2 is an analog of Goodman's theorem [8], it shows that random graphs behave in some respect as sparse complete graphs.

Theorem 5 shows the existence of a graph on less than 1012 vertices, withoutK 4 and which is edge-Ramsey for triangles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from €37.37 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Netherlands)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alon, N.: Personal communication

  2. Bollobás, B.: Extermal Graph Theory. London-New York-San Francisco: Academic Press 1978

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chernoff, H.: A measure of asymptotic efficiency for tests of hypothesis based on the sum of observations. Ann. Stat.23, 493–502 (1952)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Erdös, P.: Problems and results on finite and infinite graphs. In: Recent Advances in Graph Theory (Proceedings of the Symposium held in Prague 1974) edited by M. Fiedler, pp 183–192. Praha: Academia 1974

    Google Scholar 

  5. Erdös, P.: On some of my conjectures in number theory and combinatorics. Congr. Numerantium39, 3–19 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Erdös, P., Spencer, J.: Probabilistic Methods in Combinatorics. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiado 1974

    Google Scholar 

  7. Folkman, J.: Graphs with monochromatic complete subgraphs in every edge colouring. SIAM J. Appl. Math.18, 19–29 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Goodman, A.W.: On sets of acquaintances and strangers at any party. Amer. Math. Mon.66, 778–783 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Graham, R.L.: On edgewise 2-coloured graphs with monochromatic triangles and containing no complete hexagon. J. Comb. Theory4, 300 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Graham, R.L.: Rudiments of Ramsey theory. Reg. Conf. Ser. Math.45 (1981)

  11. Irving, R.W.: On a bound of Graham and Spencer for a graph colouring constant. J. Comb. Theory (B)15, 200–203 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nešetřil, J., Rödl, V.: The Ramsey property for graphs with forbidden complete subgraphs. J. Comb. Theory (B)20, 243–249 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nešetřil, J., Rödl, V.: Partition theory and its applications. Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser.38, 96–157 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Rödl, V.: On universality of graphs with uniformly distributed edges. Discrete Math. (to appear)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frankl, P., Rödl, V. Large triangle-free subgraphs in graphs withoutK 4 . Graphs and Combinatorics 2, 135–144 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788087

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788087

Keywords