Clustered Variants of Hajós' Conjecture

Abstract: Haj\'os conjectured that every graph containing no subdivision of the complete graph $K_{s+1}$ is properly $s$-colorable. This conjecture was disproved by Catlin. Indeed, the maximum chromatic number of such graphs is $\Omega(s^2/\log s)$. We prove that $O(s)$ colors are enough for a weakening of this conjecture that only requires every monochromatic component to have bounded size (so-called clustered coloring). Our approach leads to more results. Say that a graph is an almost $(\leq 1)$-subdivision of a graph $H$ if it can be obtained from $H$ by subdividing edges, where at most one edge is subdivided more than once. Note that every graph with no $H$-subdivision does not contain an almost $(\leq 1)$-subdivision of $H$. We prove the following (where $s \geq 2$): (1) Graphs of bounded treewidth and with no almost $(\leq 1)$-subdivision of $K_{s+1}$ are $s$-choosable with bounded clustering. (2) For every graph $H$, graphs with no $H$-minor and no almost $(\leq 1)$-subdivision of $K_{s+1}$ are $(s+1)$-colorable with bounded clustering. (3) For every graph $H$ of maximum degree at most $d$, graphs with no $H$-subdivision and no almost $(\leq 1)$-subdivision of $K_{s+1}$ are $\max{s+3d-5,2}$-colorable with bounded clustering. (4) For every graph $H$ of maximum degree $d$, graphs with no $K_{s,t}$ subgraph and no $H$-subdivision are $\max{s+3d-4,2}$-colorable with bounded clustering. (5) Graphs with no $K_{s+1}$-subdivision are $(4s-5)$-colorable with bounded clustering. The first result shows that the weakening of Haj\'{o}s' conjecture is true for graphs of bounded treewidth in a stronger sense; the final result is the first $O(s)$ bound on the clustered chromatic number of graphs with no $K_{s+1}$-subdivision.