A deck of n cards is shuffled by repeatedly taking off the top m cards and inserting them in random positions. We give a closed form expression for the distribution after any number of steps. This is used to give the asymptotics of the approach to stationarity: for m fixed and n large, it takes shuffles to get close to random. The formulae lead to new subalgebras in the group algebra of the symmetric group.

If G is a plane, cubic graph, then G has a drawing such that each edge is a straight line segment and each bounded face has any prescribed area. The special case where all areas are the same proves a conjecture of G. Ringel, who gave an example of a plane triangulation that cannot be drawn in this way.

The paper is concerned with tools for the quantitative analysis of finite Markov chains whose states are combinatorial structures. Chains of this kind have algorithmic applications in many areas, including random sampling, approximate counting, statistical physics and combinatorial optimisation. The efficiency of the resulting algorithms depends crucially on the mixing rate of the chain, i.e., the time taken for it to reach its stationary or equilibrium distribution.

The paper presents a new upper bound on the mixing rate, based on the solution to a multicommodity flow problem in the Markov chain viewed as a graph. The bound gives sharper estimates for the mixing rate of several important complex Markov chains. As a result, improved bounds are obtained for the runtimes of randomised approximation algorithms for various problems, including computing the permanent of a 0–1 matrix, counting matchings in graphs, and computing the partition function of a ferromagnetic Ising system. Moreover, solutions to the multicommodity flow problem are shown to capture the mixing rate quite closely: thus, under fairly general conditions, a Markov chain is rapidly mixing if and only if it supports a flow of low cost.

The numbers of spanning trees, Hamilton cycles and perfect matchings in a random graph Gnm are shown to be asymptotically normal if m is neither too large nor too small. At the lowest limit m ≍ n3/2, these numbers are asymptotically log-normal. For Gnp, the numbers are asymptotically log-normal for a wide range of p, including p constant. The same results are obtained for random directed graphs and bipartite graphs. The results are proved using decomposition and projection methods.

Let Per f(n) denote the set of all perfect graphs on n vertices and let Berge(n) denote the set of all Berge graphs on n vertices. The strong perfect graph conjecture states that Per f(n) = Berge(n) for all n. In this paper we prove that this conjecture is at least asymptotically true, i.e. we show that

We derive identities for the probability that at least a1 and at least a2, and for the probability that exactly a1 and exactly a2, out of n and N events occur (1 ≤ a1 ≤ n, 1 ≤ a2 ≤ N). From this, we produce multivariate permutation hybrid upper bounds, and a multivariate Bonferroni-type upper bound which includes Galambos and Xu's [2] optimal result. The methodology generalizes that of Hoppe and Seneta [3, §5]. A numerical example is given.

In this paper, we prove that every graph contains a cycle intersecting all maximum independent sets. Using this, we further prove that every graph with stability number α is spanned by α disjoint cycles. Here, the empty set, the graph of order 1 and the path of order 2 are all considered as degenerate cycles.

Many of the classical results of Ramsey Theory, including those of Hilbert, Schur, and van der Waerden, are naturally stated as instances of the following problem: given a u × ν matrix A with rational entries, is it true, that whenever the set ℕ of positive integers is finitely coloured, there must exist some x∈ℕν such that all entries of Ax are the same colour? While the theorems cited are all consequences of Rado's theorem, the general problem had remained open. We provide here several solutions for the alternate problem, which asks that x∈ℕν. Based on this, we solve the general problem, giving various equivalent characterizations.