Decompositions of the λ-Fold Complete Mixed Graph into Mixed 6-Stars

Abstract

Graph and digraph decompositions are a fundamental part of design theory. Probably the best known decompositions are related to decomposing the complete graph into 3-cycles (which correspond to Steiner triple systems), and decomposing the complete digraph into orientations of a 3-cycle (the two possible orientations of a 3-cycle correspond to directed triple systems and Mendelsohn triple systems). Decompositions of the λ-fold complete graph and the λ-fold complete digraph have been explored, giving generalizations of decompositions of complete simple graphs and digraphs. Decompositions of the complete mixed graph (which contains an edge and two distinct arcs between every two vertices) have also been explored in recent years. Since the complete mixed graph has twice as many arcs as edges, an isomorphic decomposition of a complete mixed graph into copies of a sub-mixed graph must involve a sub-mixed graph with twice as many arcs as edges. A partial orientation of a 6-star with two edges and four arcs is an example of such a mixed graph; there are five such mixed stars. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a decomposition of the λ-fold complete mixed graph into each of these five mixed stars for all λ>1.