Large Values of the Clustering Coefficient

Abstract

A prominent parameter in the context of network analysis, originally proposed by Watts and Strogatz (Collective dynamics of `small-world' networks, Nature 393 (1998) 440-442), is the clustering coefficient of a graph $G$. It is defined as the arithmetic mean of the clustering coefficients of its vertices, where the clustering coefficient of a vertex $u$ of $G$ is the relative density $m(G[N_G(u)])/{d_G(u)\choose 2}$ of its neighborhood if $d_G(u)$ is at least $2$, and $0$ otherwise. It is unknown which graphs maximize the clustering coefficient among all connected graphs of given order and size. We determine the maximum clustering coefficients among all connected regular graphs of a given order, as well as among all connected subcubic graphs of a given order. In both cases, we characterize all extremal graphs. Furthermore, we determine the maximum increase of the clustering coefficient caused by adding a single edge.