Asymptotic Equivalence of Hadwiger's Conjecture and its Odd Minor-Variant

Abstract

Hadwiger's conjecture states that every $K_t$-minor free graph is $(t-1)$-colorable. A qualitative strengthening of this conjecture raised by Gerards and Seymour, known as the Odd Hadwiger's conjecture, states similarly that every graph with no odd $K_t$-minor is $(t-1)$-colorable. For both conjectures, their asymptotic relaxations remain open, i.e., whether an upper bound on the chromatic number of the form $Ct$ for some constant $C>0$ exists. We show that if every graph without a $K_t$-minor is $f(t)$-colorable, then every graph without an odd $K_t$-minor is $2f(t)$-colorable. Using this, the recent $O(t\log \log t)$-upper bound of Delcourt and Postle for the chromatic number of $K_t$-minor free graphs directly carries over to the chromatic number of odd $K_t$-minor-free graphs. This (slightly) improves a previous bound of $O(t(\log \log t{)}^2)$ for this problem by Delcourt and Postle.

5 pages