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On arc-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles in De Bruijn graphs

Article · March 2010

Source: arXiv

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 On arc-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles in
De Bruijn graphs
Z. Kása
Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania
email: kasa@ms.sapientia.ro
arXiv:1003.1520v2 [cs.DM] 9 Mar 2010

Presented at:
5th Joint Conference on Mathematics and Computer Science, Debrecen, June
9-12, 2004
and published in Hungarian:
De Bruijn-gráfok mint hálázati modellek (De Bruijn Graphs as Network
Model), Műszaki Szemle/Technical Review, 43 (2008) 3-6

Abstract. We give two equivalent formulations of a conjecture [2,4] on the number

of arc-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles in De Bruijn graphs.

A De Bruijn word of type (q, k) for a given q and k is a word over an alphabet
with q letters, containing all k-length words exactly once. The length of such a
word is q k + k − 1. For example if q = 3, k = 2, then 0012202110 is a De Bruijn
word of type (3, 2).
For a q-letter alphabet A the De Bruijn graph B(q, k) is defined as:
B(q, k) = (V (q, k), E(q, k)) with
• V (q, k) = Ak the set of vertices
• E(q, k) = Ak+1 the set of directed arcs
• there is an arc from vertex x1 x2 . . . xk to vertex y1 y2 . . . yk if x2 x3 . . . xk =
y1 y2 . . . yk−1 and this arc is denoted by x1 x2 . . . xk yk .
In the De Bruijn graph B(q, k) a path (i. e. a walk with distinct vertices)
a1 a2 . . . ak , a2 a3 . . . ak+1 , . . . ar−k+1 ar−k+2 . . . ar , r > k corresponds to an
r-length word a1 a2 . . . ak ak+1 . . . ar , which is obtained by maximal overlapping
of the neighboring vertices.
In B(2, 3) the path 001, 010, 101 corresponds to the word 00101.
Every maximal length path in the graph B(q, k) (which is a Hamiltonian one)
corresponds to a De Bruijn word.

Algorithm to generate all De Bruijn words

a1 , a2 , . . . , aq the letters of an alphabet, with the values: ai = i − 1 for i =
1, 2, . . . , q, S a vector to store the letters of a De Bruijn word, B a vector to
store the states of words. val(Si−k . . . Si−1 ) represents the value of the number
Si−k . . . Si−1 in base q.
Initially: Si := 0 for all i = 1, 2, . . . , k, B0 := 1 and Bi := 0 for other indices.
The call of the procedure: DeBruijn (S,k+1,k,B).

1
 Figure 1: De Bruijn graph B(2, 2)

Figure 2: De Bruijn graph B(2, 3)

procedure DeBruijn (S, i, k, B)

for j := 1 to q do
Si := aj
r := val(Si−k+1 Si−k+2 . . . Si )
if Br = 0 then Br := 1
DeBruijn(S, i + 1, k, B)
Br := 0
else if length(S) = q k + k − 1
then write (S)
exit for
endif
endif
endfor
endprocedure

In the directed graph B(q, k) there always exists an Eulerian circuit because it
is connected and all its vertices have the same indegree and outdegree q. An
Eulerian circuit in B(q, k) is a Hamiltonian path in B(q, k + 1) (which always
can be continued in a Hamiltonian cycle).

2
 Figure 3: De Bruijn graph B(3, 2)

Conjecture 1. [2, 4]
In the De Bruijn graph B(q, k) for q ≥ 2 and k > 1 the number of arc-disjoint
Hamiltonian cycles is q − 1.
Let us define a morphism µ on words over an alphabet A = {0, 1, . . . , q − 1}:
µ(0) = 0
µ(i) = i + 1, if 1 ≤ i < q − 1
µ(q − 1) = 1

It is easy to see that µq−1 (u) = u for any u ∈ A∗ .

Example:
Let be a word w = 00102113230331220 on the alphabet A = {0, 1, 2, 3}.
µ(w) = 00203221310112330
µ2 (w) = 00301332120223110
From a De Bruijn word we obtian a Hamiltonian cycle. Let an H0 be such a
Hamiltonian cycle. Using µk for k = 1, 2, . . . q − 2 we will obtain De Bruijn
words corresponding to the Hamiltonian cycles H1 , H2 , . . . , Hq−2 .

3
Conjecture 2.
In the De Bruijn graph B(q, k) for q > 2, k > 1 there exists a Hamiltonian cycle
H0 such that the Hamiltonian cycles H1 , H2 , . . . Hq−2 (obtained from H0 by
using the morphisms µk , k = 1, 2, . . . q − 2)), together with H0 are arc-disjoint
Hamiltonian cycles.
B(3, 2)
H0 : 0011220210,
H1 : 0022110120
B(3, 3)
H0 : 00010021011022202012111221200,
H1 : 00020012022011101021222112100
B(4, 2)
H0 : 00102113230331220,
H1 : 00203221310112330,
H2 : 00301332120223110
B(5, 2)
H0 : 00102112041422430332313440,
H1 : 00203223012133140443424110,
H2 : 00304334023244210114131220,
H3 : 00401441034311320221242330
Two words u and v are equivalent if v = µk (u) for some 1 ≤ k ≤ q − 2
If v = µk (u), 1 ≤ k ≤ q − 2, then u = µq−1−k (v)

because, applying µ
q−1−k
to
v = µk (u) we obtain µq−1−k (v) = µq−1−k µk (u) = µq−1 (u) = u.
In the set of all De Bruijn words over an alphabet A = {0, 1, . . . , q − 1} this
equivalence relation will introduce a partition of De Bruijn words in equivalent
classes.
An equivalent assertion to Conjecture 2.
In the De Bruijn graph B(q, k) for q > 2, k > 1 there exist the Hamiltonian
cycles H0 , H1 , H2 , . . . Hq−2 such that they correspond to De Bruijn words B0 ,
B1 , B2 , . . . Bq−2 from the same equivalence class.

4
 Figure 4: Arc-disjoint Hamiltoniain cycles in De Bruijn graph B(3, 2)

References
1. M. C. Anisiu, Z. Blázsik. Z. Kása, Maximal complexity of finite words,
Pure Math. and Appl. Vol. 13 (2002) No. 1–2, pp. 39–48.
2. J. Bond, A. Iványi, Modelling of interconnection networks using De Bruijn
graphs, Third Conference of Program Designer, Ed. A. Iványi, Budapest, 1987,
75–87.
3. N. G. de Bruijn, A combinatorial problem, Nederl. Akad. Wetensch.
Proc. 49 (1946), 758–764.
4. Sophie Gire, Réseaux d’interconnexion, Option Maı̂trise Informatique,
1996–97,
http://fastnet.univ-brest.fr/˜gire/COURS/OPTION RESEAUX/node48.html
5. A. Iványi, M. Horváth, Perfect sequences, ICAI’2004, Eger, January 28,
2004.
6. M. Lothaire, Combinatorics on words, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA,
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7. M. H. Martin, A problem in arrangements, Bull. A.M.S. 40 (1934), 859–
864.

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