On the representation number of chessboard graphs

Abstract

The representation number of a graph is the smallest integer $k$ such that the graph can be represented by a word in which each vertex appears exactly $k$ times, and two distinct vertices $x$ and $y$ alternate in the word if and only if they are adjacent in the graph. We extend known results on the representation number for various graph classes to chessboard graphs - namely, king, queen, rook, bishop, and knight graphs. We provide a complete classification for queen graphs and partial classifications or observations for the other classes. As a consequence of our study, we obtain a characterization of all chessboard graphs that are circle graphs. Our work also leads to several interesting open problems.

arXiv commentTo appear in Acta Informatica