Using Block Designs in Crossing Number Bounds

Abstract

The crossing number ${\mbox {cr}}(G)$ of a graph $G=(V,E)$ is the smallest number of edge crossings over all drawings of $G$ in the plane. For any $k\ge 1$, the $k$-planar crossing number of $G$, ${\mbox {cr}}_k(G)$, is defined as the minimum of ${\mbox {cr}}(G_1)+{\mbox {cr}}(G_2)+\ldots+{\mbox {cr}}(G_{k})$ over all graphs $G_1, G_2,\ldots, G_{k}$ with $\cup_{i=1}^{k}G_i=G$. Pach et al. [\emph{Computational Geometry: Theory and Applications} {\bf 68} 2--6, (2018)] showed that for every $k\ge 1$, we have ${\mbox {cr}}_k(G)\le \left(\frac{2}{k^2}-\frac1{k^3}\right){\mbox {cr}}(G)$ and that this bound does not remain true if we replace the constant $\frac{2}{k^2}-\frac1{k^3}$ by any number smaller than $\frac1{k^2}$. We improve the upper bound to $\frac{1}{k^2}(1+o(1))$ as $k\rightarrow \infty$. For the class of bipartite graphs, we show that the best constant is exactly $\frac{1}{k^2}$ for every $k$. The results extend to the rectilinear variant of the $k$-planar crossing number.