Local independent sets and colourings of triangle-free graphs

Contributed by Matthew Bowen, András Máthé, Oleg Pikhurko ↗

Version 1 / Oct 31, 2026 / CC BY 4.0

Abstract

This AI-assisted draft constructs, for every sufficiently large DD, a local rule of radius O((ln⁡D)2)O((\ln D)^2) that produces, on any triangle-free graph GG of maximum degree at most DD, a random independent set that includes each vertex with probability at least (1−oD(1))ln⁡D/D(1-o_D(1))\ln D/D. Further properties of the rule yield, for every fixed ε>0\varepsilon>0 and all sufficiently large DD, a randomised LOCAL algorithm that colours any such finite graph GG with at most (1+ε)D/ln⁡D(1+\varepsilon)D/\ln D colours, with high probability, in Oε(ln⁡D)+(ln⁡ln⁡∣V(G)∣)O(1)O_\varepsilon(\ln D)+(\ln\ln |V(G)|)^{O(1)} communication rounds. Applying known transference principles for Borel graphs, we obtain the same asymptotic bound on the number of colours for measurable and Baire-measurable colourings, and for Borel colourings of graphs with finite asymptotic separation index.

Provenance statement

The contributors have convinced themselves that all main results (Theorems 1.1-1.3) are correct but have not verified all intermediate auxiliary steps to the letter.

Tools used

OpenAI
ChatGPTVersion Astra 6

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Version history

  1. v1Submitted by Oleg PikhurkoInitial depositCurrentOct 30, 2026