Vertex-contraction ideal conjecture for the Tutte polynomial

Let GG be a connected undirected graph, let ss be a vertex of GG, and let NN be the set of neighbors of ss, excluding ss. For each nonempty subset WNW\subseteq N, let G/W{s}\overline{G_{/W\cup\{s\}}} denote the graph obtained by contracting W{s}W\cup\{s\} in GG and removing all loops. Vertex-contraction ideal conjecture. The Tutte polynomial TG(x,y)T_G(x,y) belongs to the ideal generated by

{TG/W{s}(x,y):WN}\left\{T_{\overline{G_{/W\cup\{s\}}}}(x,y):\emptyset\subsetneq W\subseteq N\right\}

in Q[x,y]\mathbb{Q}[x,y]. This conjecture would support the existence of a two-variable generalization of the Tutte polynomial for Eulerian, and possibly general, digraphs via recursive formulas involving vertex contraction.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Kévin Perrot and Trung Van Pham, “Chip-firing game and partial Tutte polynomial for Eulerian digraphs”, arXiv:1306.0294 (2013).

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