Degree sum conditions for path-factors with specified end vertices in bipartite graphs

Abstract

Let G be a graph, and let S be a subset of the vertex set of G. We denote the set of the end vertices of a path P by end(P). A path P is an S-path if |V(P)|≥2 and V(P)∩S=end(P). An S-path-system is a graph H such that H contains all vertices of S and every component of H is an S-path. In this paper, we give a sharp degree sum condition for a bipartite graph to have a spanning S-path-system.