Local conditions for exponentially many subdivisions

Abstract

Given a graph $F$, let $s_t(F)$ be the number of subdivisions of $F$, each with a different vertex set, which one can guarantee in a graph $G$ in which every edge lies in at least $t$ copies of $F$. In 1990, Tuza asked for which graphs $F$ and large $t$, one has that $s_t(F)$ is exponential in a power of $t$. We show that, somewhat surprisingly, the only such $F$ are complete graphs, and for every $F$ which is not complete, $s_t(F)$ is polynomial in $t$. Further, for a natural strengthening of the local condition above, we also characterise those $F$ for which $s_t(F)$ is exponential in a power of $t$.