Minimal induced subgraphs of two classes of 2-connected non-Hamiltonian graphs

Abstract

In 1981, Duffus, Gould, and Jacobson showed that every connected graph either has a Hamiltonian path, or contains a claw ($K_{1,3}$) or a net (a fixed six-vertex graph) as an induced subgraph. This implies that subject to being connected, these two are the only minimal (under taking induced subgraphs) graphs with no Hamiltonian path. Brousek (1998) characterized the minimal graphs that are $2$-connected, non-Hamiltonian and do not contain the claw as an induced subgraph. We characterize the minimal graphs that are $2$-connected and non-Hamiltonian for two classes of graphs: (1) split graphs, (2) triangle-free graphs. We remark that testing for Hamiltonicity is NP-hard in both of these classes.