#Unit interval cographs and A152947

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A cograph is a graph with no induced path on four vertices. We count cographs among the natural unit interval graphs encoded by area sequences.

Theorem

Let \(c_n\) be the number of connected area sequences of length \(n\) whose unit interval graph is a cograph. For \(n \geq 1,\) \[c_n=1+\binom{n-1}{2},\] so \((c_n)_{n\geq1}\) is A152947.

More precisely, a connected unit interval graph is a cograph if and only if it is a complete graph or has the form \[K_r \mathbin{\vee} (K_p \mathbin{\sqcup} K_q), \qquad p,q,r\geq1,\] where \(\vee\) denotes the graph join.

Proof

We use the recursive characterization of cographs: every connected cograph with at least two vertices is a nontrivial join of smaller cographs. Refine such a decomposition into join-indecomposable factors. If two factors both contain a nonedge, then a nonadjacent pair from each factor induces a \(4\)-cycle, since all edges between different factors are present. This is impossible because unit interval graphs are chordal. Thus at most one factor is not complete. The complete factors are single vertices in the refined decomposition; together they form a nonempty clique \(K_r\) of universal vertices.

Let \(H\) be the remaining noncomplete factor, if it exists. It is a join-indecomposable cograph, so it is disconnected. Unit interval graphs are claw-free. Hence \(H\) has independence number at most two: otherwise a universal vertex together with three independent vertices of \(H\) would induce a claw. A maximum independent set of a disconnected graph contains a vertex from every component. It follows that \(H\) has exactly two components and that each component is complete. Consequently \(H=K_p\sqcup K_q\) for some \(p,q\geq1.\) This proves the claimed structural form. Conversely, complete graphs are cographs, and cographs are closed under disjoint union and join. The displayed graphs are also unit interval graphs, as the following area sequences show.

In a unit interval representation of \(K_r\vee(K_p\sqcup K_q),\) the two nonadjacent clique classes occur on opposite sides of the universal class. Choosing which class is on the left, the area sequence is \[(0,1,\dotsc,p+r-1,r,r+1,\dotsc,r+q-1).\] The complete graph \(K_n\) has area sequence \((0,1,\dotsc,n-1).\) Conversely, these sequences produce exactly the displayed graphs. We therefore obtain one complete case and one case for every ordered composition \(n=p+r+q\) into three positive parts. There are \(\binom{n-1}{2}\) such compositions, proving the formula.

There is also a simple enumeration without the connectedness condition. Every area sequence decomposes uniquely into consecutive connected blocks. Thus, if \(a_n\) counts all area sequences of length \(n\) whose graph is a cograph, then \[C(x)\coloneqq\sum_{n\geq1}c_nx^n =\frac{x}{1-x}+\frac{x^3}{(1-x)^3}\] and \[\sum_{n\geq0}a_nx^n =\frac{1}{1-C(x)} =\frac{(1-x)^3}{1-4x+5x^2-3x^3}.\] The first values of \((a_n)_{n\geq0}\) are \[1,1,2,5,13,33,82,202,497,1224,3017,7439,18343.\]

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