On Hamilton Decompositions of Line Graphs of Non-Hamiltonian Graphs and Graphs without Separating Transitions

Abstract

In contrast with Kotzig's result that the line graph of a $3$-regular graph $X$ is Hamilton decomposable if and only if $X$ is Hamiltonian, we show that for each integer $k\geq 4$ there exists a simple non-Hamiltonian $k$-regular graph whose line graph has a Hamilton decomposition. We also answer a question of Jackson by showing that for each integer $k\geq 3$ there exists a simple connected $k$-regular graph with no separating transitions whose line graph has no Hamilton decomposition.