The Uncountable Hadwiger Conjecture and Characterizations of Trees Using Graphs

Abstract

We prove that the existence of a non-special tree of size $\lambda$ is equivalent to the existence of an uncountably chromatic graph with no $K_{\omega_1}$ minor of size $\lambda$, establishing a connection between the special tree number and the uncountable Hadwiger conjecture. Also characterizations of Aronszajn, Kurepa and Suslin trees using graphs are deduced. A new generalized notion of connectedness for graphs is introduced using which we are able to characterize weakly compact cardinals.