face_monochromatic_pairs: extend Theorem 5.5 proof attempt with Step 2 + Step 3

- Step 1: local CW structure at u, w (F_R = F_{ab}^u = F_{ca}^w, etc.)
- Step 2 (new, complete): K_1 \ e leaves u into In(K_0) and arrives at w
  from Out(K_0), so it crosses K_0 an odd number of times. Each crossing
  uses a shared a-edge, so |E(K_0) ∩ E(K_1)| is even and ≥ 2. Closes
  the case of a single shared edge.
- Step 3 (new, complete): Heawood's face-sum identity ∑ h_φ ≡ 0 (mod 3)
  applied to every H-face inside a face Φ of K_0 ∪ K_1, with
  multiplicity bookkeeping at degree-3 vs degree-2 boundary vertices,
  yields ν_{2,Φ} ≡ -ℓ_Φ (mod 3) for every face Φ.
- Step 4 (open): use Lemma 5.2 alternation to force ν_{2,Φ} on some
  face, and exhibit a violation.

Literature search via research-analyst confirms the theorem is novel
(Heawood face-sum and the +/-1 rotation sign are classical; no result
relating intersecting Kempe cycles via vertex signs found).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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@@ -825,37 +825,134 @@ share at least one colour-$a$ edge). If $h_\varphi$ is constant on
$V(K_0)$, then $h_\varphi$ is \emph{not} constant on $V(K_1)$. $V(K_0)$, then $h_\varphi$ is \emph{not} constant on $V(K_1)$.
\end{theorem} \end{theorem}
\begin{proof}[Proof sketch] \begin{proof}[Proof attempt]
Suppose for contradiction that $h_\varphi$ is constant on both Suppose for contradiction that $h_\varphi$ is constant on both
$V(K_0)$ and $V(K_1)$, and that $K_0, K_1$ share a colour-$a$ edge $V(K_0)$ and $V(K_1)$, and that $K_0, K_1$ share a colour-$a$ edge
$e = (u, w)$, so that $u, w \in V(K_0) \cap V(K_1)$ are consecutive on $e = (u, w)$. Then $u, w \in V(K_0) \cap V(K_1)$ are consecutive on
both cycles. both cycles. Since the two constants agree at the shared vertex $u$,
they agree everywhere on $V(K_0) \cup V(K_1)$; WLOG
$h_\varphi \equiv +1$ on $V(K_0) \cup V(K_1)$, so the CW edge order at
every such vertex is $(a, b, c)$.
By Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant} applied to $K_0$: at every Orient both cycles so that they leave $u$ along $e$: write the $K_0$
consecutive pair of $K_0$-vertices the colour-$c$ non-cycle edges lie walk as $u = v_0 \xrightarrow{e} w = v_1 \to v_2 \to \cdots \to
on opposite local sides of $K_0$. In particular the colour-$c$ edges v_{L_0 - 1} \to v_0$, and the $K_1$ walk as $u = u_0 \xrightarrow{e}
at $u$ and $w$ lie on opposite sides of $K_0$. w = u_1 \to u_2 \to \cdots \to u_{L_1 - 1} \to u_0$. Let
$F_R(e), F_L(e)$ be the two faces of $H$ incident to $e$, with $F_R$
on the right and $F_L$ on the left of the $u \to w$ traversal.
By Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant} applied to $K_1$: at every \textbf{Step 1 (local sides at $u, w$).} The CW-order $(a, b, c)$ at
consecutive pair of $K_1$-vertices the colour-$b$ non-cycle edges lie $u$ and $w$ partitions the faces of $H$ at each endpoint into three
on opposite local sides of $K_1$. In particular the colour-$b$ edges wedges. Direct inspection (cf.\ the proof of
at $u$ and $w$ lie on opposite sides of $K_1$. Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant}) gives
\[
F_R(e) = F_{ab}^u = F_{ca}^w, \qquad F_L(e) = F_{ca}^u = F_{ab}^w,
\]
where $F_{\alpha\beta}^v$ is the face of $H$ at $v$ in the CW wedge
between the colour-$\alpha$ and colour-$\beta$ edges. Consequently:
\begin{itemize}
\item $e_c^u$ lies between $F_{bc}^u$ and $F_{ca}^u = F_L(e)$, so $e_c^u$
is on the side of $K_0$ containing $F_L(e)$ near $u$; call this side
$\mathrm{In}(K_0)$.
\item $e_c^w$ lies between $F_{bc}^w$ and $F_{ca}^w = F_R(e)$, so
$e_c^w$ is on the side $\mathrm{Out}(K_0)$ containing $F_R(e)$ near $w$.
\item Symmetrically, $e_b^u$ is on the side of $K_1$ containing
$F_R(e)$, call this $\mathrm{Out}(K_1)$, and $e_b^w$ is on the side
$\mathrm{In}(K_1)$ containing $F_L(e)$.
\end{itemize}
This recovers exactly the conclusion of
Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant} applied to $(u, w)$ on each
cycle.
Now $K_0$ and $K_1$ share the arc $e$ in the plane, so $K_0 \cup K_1$ \textbf{Step 2 (forced crossings).} Consider $K_1 \setminus e$, the
is either a single closed curve (if $K_0 = K_1$, which is impossible path from $u$ to $w$ obtained by removing the open edge $e$ from
since they use different colour pairs) or a theta-curve based at $K_1$. By Step~1, this path leaves $u$ on the $\mathrm{In}(K_0)$ side
$\{u, w\}$. In the latter case the colour-$b$ edges at $u, w$ together and arrives at $w$ on the $\mathrm{Out}(K_0)$ side. Since $K_0$
with $K_0 \setminus e$ form one side of the theta, and the colour-$c$ separates the plane into its two sides and $K_1 \setminus e$ is a
edges at $u, w$ together with $K_1 \setminus e$ form another side. continuous arc, the path must intersect $V(K_0)$ at an odd number of
The combined opposite-sides conditions above force $K_0$ and $K_1$ to points strictly between $u$ and $w$ along the $K_1$-walk.
both wind around the same way at $e$ --- which a planar theta-curve
cannot realise.
\textbf{(Full proof to be filled in.)} The cleanest formalisation is At any such intersection $x \in V(K_0) \cap V(K_1) \setminus \{u, w\}$,
likely via a winding-number / orientation argument on the theta-curve $K_1$ uses the colour-$a$ edge at $x$ (since $K_1$ uses only colours
$K_0 \cup K_1$ in the plane, combined with the local CW-order $a, c$ and only colour-$a$ edges can lie on $K_0$). That colour-$a$
constraints at $u$ and $w$ that Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant} edge is therefore a shared edge $e^* \in E(K_0) \cap E(K_1)$ with
forces. $e^* \neq e$; both endpoints of $e^*$ lie in $V(K_0) \cap V(K_1)$.
So $|E(K_0) \cap E(K_1)| - 1$ equals the (odd) number of crossings,
giving
\[
|E(K_0) \cap E(K_1)| \text{ is even, and } \geq 2.
\]
The symmetric argument applied to $K_0 \setminus e$ crossing $K_1$
yields the same conclusion.
\textbf{Step 3 (Heawood face-sum on each face of $K_0 \cup K_1$).}
View $K_0 \cup K_1$ as a planar subgraph of $H$ and consider any face
$\Phi$ of this subgraph. Let $F_\Phi$ be the set of $H$-faces lying
inside (the closed region of) $\Phi$. Applying Heawood's classical
face-sum identity
$\sum_{v \in \partial f} h_\varphi(v) \equiv 0 \pmod 3$
\cite{Heawood1898}
to every $f \in F_\Phi$ and summing gives
\[
\sum_{f \in F_\Phi} \sum_{v \in \partial f} h_\varphi(v) \;=\;
\sum_{v} \mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v)\, h_\varphi(v) \;\equiv\; 0 \pmod 3,
\]
where $\mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v)$ counts the number of $H$-faces in
$F_\Phi$ whose boundary contains $v$.
A direct case-check on the cubic vertex structure gives:
\begin{itemize}
\item $\mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v) = 3$ if $v$ is strictly interior to $\Phi$
(all three $H$-faces at $v$ lie in $F_\Phi$);
\item $\mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v) = 1$ if $v$ is a degree-$3$
(shared, branching) vertex of $K_0 \cup K_1$ on $\partial\Phi$ (only
one of $v$'s three wedges lies in $\Phi$);
\item $\mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v) = 2$ if $v$ is a degree-$2$ (non-shared)
vertex of $K_0 \cup K_1$ on $\partial\Phi$ \emph{and} $v$'s third edge
points into $\Phi$ (the third edge subdivides $v$'s wedge in $\Phi$
into two $H$-faces);
\item $\mathrm{mult}_\Phi(v) = 1$ if $v$ is a degree-$2$ non-shared
boundary vertex with its third edge pointing into the opposite face.
\end{itemize}
Under the contradiction hypothesis $h_\varphi \equiv +1$ on
$V(K_0) \cup V(K_1) \supseteq \partial\Phi$, the boundary contribution
collapses to
\[
\sigma_\Phi + \nu_{1,\Phi} + 2\,\nu_{2,\Phi}
\;=\; \ell_\Phi + \nu_{2,\Phi}
\;\equiv\; 0 \pmod 3,
\]
where $\sigma_\Phi$ counts shared boundary vertices of $\Phi$,
$\nu_{1,\Phi}$ and $\nu_{2,\Phi}$ count non-shared boundary vertices
with third edge pointing out of / into $\Phi$ respectively, and
$\ell_\Phi$ is the boundary length of $\Phi$. (The interior
contribution is a multiple of $3$ and drops out.) Hence
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:face-sum-mod3}
\nu_{2,\Phi} \;\equiv\; -\ell_\Phi \pmod 3
\quad\text{for every face } \Phi \text{ of } K_0 \cup K_1.
\end{equation}
\textbf{Step 4 (Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant} alternation as
a side-assignment --- TBD).} The Lemma~\ref{lem:kempe-heawood-constant}
alternation on $K_0$ determines, for each non-shared
$K_0$-vertex $v$, exactly which side of $K_0$ its colour-$c$
(``third'') edge lies on --- and that side is precisely the face
$\Phi(v)$ of $K_0 \cup K_1$ that the third edge points into.
Symmetrically for $K_1$. So the alternation gives an explicit
prescription for $\nu_{2,\Phi}$ in terms of the parity of
$K_0$- and $K_1$-walk indices along $\partial\Phi$.
\emph{(The remaining work is to show that this prescription is
incompatible with~\eqref{eq:face-sum-mod3} for some face
$\Phi$.)}
\emph{Empirical note.} The theorem's hypothesis is never observed:
across the $142{,}812$ chord-apex+Kempe colourings of reduced duals
with $|V(G)| \le 20$, ``$h_\varphi$ constant on $V(K_b)$'' fails on
every colouring (see \texttt{experiments/check\_constancy\_obstruction.py}
and Remark~\ref{rem:heawood-empirical}).
\end{proof} \end{proof}
\begin{remark}[Empirical near-proof of Conjecture~\ref{conj:face-monochromatic-pair-on-merged-kempe-cycle} via Corollary~\ref{cor:single-cycle-non-constancy}] \begin{remark}[Empirical near-proof of Conjecture~\ref{conj:face-monochromatic-pair-on-merged-kempe-cycle} via Corollary~\ref{cor:single-cycle-non-constancy}]