Minimum degree thresholds for Hamilton $(k/2)$-cycles in $k$-uniform hypergraphs

Abstract

For any even integer $k\ge 6$, integer $d$ such that $k/2\le d\le k-1$, and sufficiently large $n\in (k/2)\mathbb N$, we find a tight minimum $d$-degree condition that guarantees the existence of a Hamilton $(k/2)$-cycle in every $k$-uniform hypergraph on $n$ vertices. When $n\in k\mathbb N$, the degree condition coincides with the one for the existence of perfect matchings provided by R\"odl, Ruci\'nski and Szemer\'edi (for $d=k-1$) and Treglown and Zhao (for $d\ge k/2$), and thus our result strengthens theirs in this case.