Random Embeddings of Graphs: The Expected Number of Faces in Most Graphs is Logarithmic
Jesse Campion Loth, Kevin Halasz, Tomáš Masařík, Bojan Mohar, Robert Šámal · Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics eBooks · 2024
A random 2-cell embedding of a connected graph G in some orientable surface is obtained by choosing a random local rotation around each vertex. Under this setup, the number of faces or the genus of the corresponding 2-cell embedding becomes a random variable. Random embeddings of two particular graph classes - those of a bouquet of n loops and those of n parallel edges connecting two vertices - have been extensively studied and are well-understood. However, little is known about more general graphs despite their important connections with central problems in mainstream mathematics and in theoretical physics (see [Lando & Zvonkin, Graphs on surfaces and their applications, Springer 2004]). There are also tight connections with problems in computing (random generation, approximation algorithms). The results of this paper, in particular, explain why Monte Carlo methods (see, e.g., [Gross & Tucker, Local maxima in graded graphs of imbeddings, Ann. NY Acad. Sci 1979] and [Gross & Rieper, Local extrema in genus stratified graphs, JGT 1991]) cannot work for approximating the minimum genus of graphs.