Optimal proper connection of graphs

Abstract

An edge-colored graph $G$ is called properly colored if no two adjacent edges share a color in $G$. An edge-colored connected graph $G$ is called properly connected if between every pair of distinct vertices, there exists a path that is properly colored. In this paper, we discuss how to make a connected graph properly connected efficiently. More precisely, we consider the problem to convert a given monochromatic graph into properly connected by recoloring $p$ edges with $q$ colors so that $p+q$ is as small as possible. We discuss how this can be done efficiently for some restricted graphs, such as trees, complete bipartite graphs and graphs with independence number $2$.