Algebraically Grid-Like Graphs have Large Tree-Width

Abstract

By the Grid Minor Theorem of Robertson and Seymour, every graph of sufficiently large tree-width contains a large grid as a minor. Tree-width may therefore be regarded as a measure of 'grid-likeness' of a graph.The grid contains a long cycle on the perimeter, which is the F2-sum of the rectangles inside. Moreover, the grid distorts the metric of the cycle only by a factor of two. We prove that every graph that resembles the grid in this algebraic sense has large tree-width:Let k, p be integers, γ a real number and G a graph. Suppose that G contains a cycle of length at least 2γpk which is the F2-sum of cycles of length at most p and whose metric is distorted by a factor of at most γ. Then G has tree-width at least k.