A Method to Construct $1$-Rotational Factorizations of Complete Graphs and Solutions to the Oberwolfach Problem

Abstract

The concept of a $1$-rotational factorization of a complete graph under a finite group $G$ was studied in detail by Buratti and Rinaldi. They found that if $G$ admits a $1$-rotational $2$-factorization, then the involutions of $G$ are pairwise conjugate. We extend their result by showing that if a finite group $G$ admits a $1$-rotational $k=2^nm$-factorization where $n\geq 1$, and $m$ is odd, then $G$ has at most $m(2^n-1)$ conjugacy classes containing involutions. Also, we show that if $G$ has exactly $m(2^n-1)$ conjugacy classes containing involutions, then the product of a central involution with an involution in one conjugacy class yields an involution in a different conjugacy class. We then demonstrate a method of constructing a $1$-rotational $2n$-factorization under $G \times \mathbb{Z}_n$ given a $1$-rotational $2$-factorization under a finite group $G$. This construction, given a $1$-rotational solution to the Oberwolfach problem $OP(a_{\infty},a_1, a_2 \cdots, a_n)$, allows us to find a solution to $OP(2a_{\infty}-1,^2a_1, ^2a_2\cdots, ^2a_n)$ when the $a_i$'s are even ($i \neq \infty$), and $OP(p(a_{\infty}-1)+1, ^pa_1, ^pa_2 \cdots, ^pa_n)$ when $p$ is an odd prime, with no restrictions on the $a_i$'s.