The Cyclic Triangle-Free Process

Abstract

For positive integers s and t, the Ramsey number R ( s , t ) is the smallest positive integer n such that every graph of order n contains either a clique of order s or an independent set of order t. The triangle-free process begins with an empty graph of order n, and iteratively adds edges chosen uniformly at random subject to the constraint that no triangle is formed. It has been an important tool in studying the asymptotic lower bound for R ( 3 , t ) . Cyclic graphs are vertex-transitive. The symmetry of cyclic graphs makes it easier to compute their independent numbers than related general graphs. In this paper, the cyclic triangle-free process is studied. The sizes of the parameter sets and the independence numbers of the graphs obtained by the cyclic triangle-free process are studied. Lower bounds on R ( 3 , t ) for small t’s are computed, and R ( 3 , 35 ) ≥ 237 , R ( 3 , 36 ) ≥ 244 , R ( 3 , 37 ) ≥ 255 , R ( 3 , 38 ) ≥ 267 , etc. are obtained based on the graphs obtained by the cyclic triangle-free process. Finally, some problems on the cyclic triangle-free process and R ( 3 , t ) are proposed.