On graphs that are not PCGs

Abstract

Let T be an edge-weighted tree and let dmin,dmax be two nonnegative real numbers. The pairwise compatibility graph (PCG) of T is a graph G such that each vertex of G corresponds to a distinct leaf of T and two vertices are adjacent in G if and only if the weighted distance between their corresponding leaves in T is in the interval [dmin,dmax]. Similarly, a given graph G is a PCG if there exist suitable T,dmin,dmax, such that G is a PCG of T. Yanhaona, Bayzid and Rahman proved that there exists a graph with 15 vertices that is not a PCG. On the other hand, Calamoneri, Frascaria and Sinaimeri proved that every graph with at most seven vertices is a PCG. In this paper we construct a graph of eight vertices that is not a PCG, which strengthens the result of Yanhaona, Bayzid and Rahman, and implies optimality of the result of Calamoneri, Frascaria and Sinaimeri. We then construct a planar graph with sixteen vertices that is not a PCG. Finally, we prove a variant of the PCG recognition problem to be NP-complete.