Interval H-graphs : Recognition and forbidden obstructions

Abstract

We introduce the class of interval $H$-graphs, which is the generalization of interval graphs, particularly interval bigraphs. For a fixed graph $H$ with vertices $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_k$, we say that an input graph $G$ with given partition $V_1,\dots,V_k$ of its vertices is an interval $H$-graph if each vertex $v \in G$ can be represented by an interval $I_v$ from a real line so that $u \in V_i$ and $v \in V_j$ are adjacent if and only if $a_ia_j$ is an edge of $H$ and intervals $I_u$ and $I_v$ intersect. $G$ is called interval $k$-graph if $H$ is a complete graph on $k$ vertices. and interval bigraph when $k=2$. We study the ordering characterization and forbidden obstructions of interval $k$-graphs and present a polynomial-time recognition algorithm for them. Additionally, we discuss how this algorithm can be extended to recognize general interval $H$-graphs. Special cases of interval $k$-graphs, particularly comparability interval $k$-graphs, were previously studied in [2], where the complexity interval $k$-graph recognition was posed as an open problem.