Determine whether the 28-vertex K4-free-complement problem is computationally feasible

Determine whether the enumeration-based method using exact unions of two sphere triangulations and SAT certification is feasible for finding a biplanar graph on 28 vertices with $K_4$-free complement.

Background

Gethner and Sulanke’s Open Problem 1(b) asks for a biplanar graph on 28 vertices whose complement is K4K_4-free. The paper explains that its enlargement and exact-union encoding extend in principle to this order, but the required enumeration would be much larger. The authors explicitly leave unresolved whether the computational approach is feasible at that scale.

References

Gethner and Sulanke~\citep[Open Problem~1(b)]{gethnersulanke2009} ask more generally for a biplanar graph on 28 vertices with $K_4$ free complement. The method of this note transfers to that question in principle, since neither the enlargement nor the exact-union encoding depends on the order, but the enumeration would be far larger, and we do not know whether it is feasible.

— Biplanar graphs with independence number two are 9-colorable  (2609.28102 - Szeider, 23 Sep 2026) in Section 6, Concluding remarks