Degree-choosability of proper conflict-free list coloring of sparse graphs

Abstract

Given a graph $G$ and a mapping $f:V(G) \to \mathbb{N}$, an $f$-list assignment of $G$ is a function that maps each $v \in V(G)$ to a set of at least $f(v)$ colors. For an $f$-list assignment $L$ of a graph $G$, a proper conflict-free $L$-coloring of $G$ is a proper coloring $\phi$ of $G$ such that for every vertex $v \in V(G)$, $\phi(v) \in L(v)$ and some appears precisely once in the neighborhood of $v$. We say that $G$ is proper conflict-free $f$-choosable if for every $f$-list assignment $L$ of $G$, there exists a proper conflict-free $L$-coloring of $G$. If $G$ is proper conflict-free $f$-choosable and there is a constant $k$ such that $f(v)= d_G(v)+k$ for every vertex $v$ of $G$, then we say $G$ is proper conflict-free $({\rm degree}+k)$-choosable. In this paper, we consider graphs with a bounded maximum average degree. We show that every graph with the maximum average degree less than $\frac{10}{3}$ is proper conflict-free $({\rm degree}+3)$-choosable, and that every graph with the maximum average degree less than $\frac{18}{7}$ is proper conflict-free $({\rm degree}+2)$-choosable. As a result, every planar graph with girth at least $5$ is proper conflict-free $({\rm degree}+3)$-choosable, and every planar graph with girth at least $9$ is proper conflict-free $({\rm degree}+2)$-choosable.