Universality in random graphs via optimal linking systems: trees and beyond

Abstract

We develop a framework for proving universality results in sparse random graphs. As a first application, we show that there exists an absolute constant $C>1$ such that, with high probability, for every fixed constant $Δ$, the binomial random graph $G(n,C\ln n/n)$ contains every $n$-vertex tree with maximum degree at most $Δ$. This answers a question of Montgomery (Advances in Mathematics, 2019). We also determine, for every $p$ satisfying $C\ln n/n\leq p=n^{-1+o(1)}$, the minimum girth $\ell$ (up to an absolute multiplicative constant) for which with high probability $G(n,p)$ contains all cycle factors of girth at least $Ω(\ell)$. In particular, with high probability $G(n,C\ln n/n)$ contains all cycle factors of girth at least $100\ln n/\ln\ln n$, which is optimal up to a constant factor. This extends an earlier result of Ferber, Kronenberg, and Luh (Transaction of the American Mathematical Society, 2019) and significantly improves a corollary of a deep result of Kahn, Lubetzky, and Wormald (Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics, 2017). One of the key ingredients in the proofs is establishing the optimal depth of linking systems in sparse random graphs.