<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE article  PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD Journal Publishing DTD v3.0 20080202//EN" "http://dtd.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/3.0/journalpublishing3.dtd"><article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" dtd-version="3.0" xml:lang="en" article-type="research article"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">OJDM</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Open Journal of Discrete Mathematics</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="epub">2161-7635</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Scientific Research Publishing</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.4236/ojdm.2016.62011</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">OJDM-65755</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Articles</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="Discipline-v2"><subject>Physics&amp;Mathematics</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>
 
 
  The Rupture Degree of Graphs with &lt;i&gt;k&lt;/i&gt;-Tree
 
</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>inkui</surname><given-names>Li</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1"><sup>*</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Qingning</surname><given-names>Wang</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Xiaoling</surname><given-names>Wang</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib></contrib-group><aff id="aff1"><addr-line>College of Mathematics and Statistics, Qinghai Nationalities University, Xining, China</addr-line></aff><author-notes><corresp id="cor1">* E-mail:<email>lyk463@163.com(IL)</email>;</corresp></author-notes><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>31</day><month>03</month><year>2016</year></pub-date><volume>06</volume><issue>02</issue><fpage>105</fpage><lpage>107</lpage><history><date date-type="received"><day>14</day>	<month>February</month>	<year>2016</year></date><date date-type="rev-recd"><day>accepted</day>	<month>19</month>	<year>April</year>	</date><date date-type="accepted"><day>22</day>	<month>April</month>	<year>2016</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement>&#169; Copyright  2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. </copyright-statement><copyright-year>2014</copyright-year><license><license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</license-p></license></permissions><abstract><p><html>
 <head></head>
 
  A 
  k-tree of a connected graph 
  G is a spanning tree with maximum degree at most 
  k. The rupture degree for a connected graph 
  G is defined by 
  <img src="Edit_b58fa23a-98ff-4199-911e-76bc4b4ef859.bmp" alt="" />
  , where <img src="Edit_35922f6e-2272-4632-87a9-ed52c8561fe6.bmp" alt="" />
   and <img src="Edit_e6b09751-5959-4a77-b685-17d31303ae86.bmp" alt="" />
  , respectively, denote the order of the largest component and number of components in <img src="Edit_077131f4-f132-41b4-a5cd-66b88bc66cf9.bmp" alt="" />
  . In this paper, we show that for a connected graph G, if <img src="Edit_e19ec7e8-d1ad-4c74-866c-373648242933.bmp" alt="" /> 
  for any cut-set <img src="Edit_1a990dd6-5334-49a4-89cb-736f7a80aa19.bmp" alt="" />
  , then G has a k-tree.
 
</html></p></abstract><kwd-group><kwd>The Rupture Degree</kwd><kwd> &lt;i&gt;k&lt;/i&gt;-Tree</kwd><kwd> Induced Graph</kwd></kwd-group></article-meta></front><body><sec id="s1"><title>1. Introduction</title><p>Throughout this paper, We consider only finite undirected graphs without loops and multiple edges. A graph <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x12.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> always means a simple connected graph with vertex set <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x13.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and edge set<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x14.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x15.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> denote the maximum degree of G, and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x16.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> denote the subgraph of G induced by a subset S of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x17.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. We by <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x18.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> denote the degree of a vertex v in a graph G and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x19.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> the neighbor vertex set of v. Further for a</p><p>nonempty subset S of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, we put <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x21.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x21.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x22.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>A k-tree of a connected graph G is a spanning tree with maximum degree k. Clearly, if<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x23.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, it reduces to that of a Hamiltonian path in G. Since every tree with maximum degree <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x23.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x24.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> has a <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x23.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x24.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>-tree, thus here we doesn’t consider trees.</p><p>A nonempty set S of independent vertices of G is called a frame of G, if <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is connected for any<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x28.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> then S is called a k-frame.</p><p>In [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.65755-ref1">1</xref>] and [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.65755-ref2">2</xref>] , Win, Aung and Kyaw gave the ore-type condition and Fan-type condition for k tree as fellows (Theorem A and B).</p><p>Theorem A. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x29.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for every independent set S of k vertices of graph G, then G has a k tree.</p><p>Theorem B. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x30.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and suppose, either <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x30.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x31.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> or <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x30.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x31.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x32.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a complete</p><p>graph, then G has a k tree.</p><p>Further, Kyaw in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.65755-ref3">3</xref>] gave a stronger result for k tree as theorem C.</p><p>Theorem C. Let G be a connected graph and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x33.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> an integer. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x33.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x34.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for</p><p>every <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x35.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>-frame S in G, then G has a k tree.</p><p>The rupture degree of a graph G is introduced in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.65755-ref4">4</xref>] , which is an important parameter for measuring the structure characteristics of the connected graph G and defined as</p><disp-formula id="scirp.65755-formula818"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x36.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x37.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x37.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x38.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, respectively, denote the order of the largest component and the number of components in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x37.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x38.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x39.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>In this paper, we consider the rupture degree and existence of k-tree in a connected graph G and thus give a new sufficient condition for a graph to have k tree.</p><p>Any undefined terms can be found in the standard references on graph theory, including Bondy and Murty [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.65755-ref5">5</xref>] .</p></sec><sec id="s2"><title>2. Main Result</title><p>Let G be a connected graph and k an integrity with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x40.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Now, we by proving the following theorem to discuss the relationship between the rupture degree and existence of k-tree in graph G.</p><p>Theorem 1. Let G be a connected graph but not a tree. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x41.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for any cut-set<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x41.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x42.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then G has a k-tree.</p><p>Let H be an induced subgraph of G and with maximal order among all subgraphs containing k-tree, and let A be a set adjacent to some vertices in G but not in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Clearly, if<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x44.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then G has k-tree. Now, we suppose that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x44.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x45.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for any cut-set <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x44.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x45.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x46.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and A is nonempty for connected graph G. We by finding a contradiction to prove the above theorem. Firstly, we prove the following claims.</p><p>Claim 1. Let T be a k-tree of H. Then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x47.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x47.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x48.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Let T be a k-tree of H, which has maximal order among all the induced subgraphs of G having a k-tree. On the contrary, suppose that if there exist some vertex <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> such that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x50.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then H could be expanded by joining xy for a neighbor y of x which is not in H. This is contradictive to the maximality of H. Thus <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x50.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x51.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for any<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x50.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x51.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x52.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Let T be a k-tree of H and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x53.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x53.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, we suppose that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x53.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> are all components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x53.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Claim 2. If there exist an edge <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x59.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x59.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x60.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Suppose that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>). Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, we may obtain a new k-tree <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> from T of H by deleting one of the edges joining x to components <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x68.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) from T and adding the edge <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x68.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x69.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> in T. Clearly, we obtain another k-tree of H and in the latter k-tree, x has degree less than k. Then H could be expanded and this is contradictive to the maximality of H. So the conclusion holds.</p><p>Claim 3. Let T be a k-tree of H and M is subset of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with degree k. Then M is non-empty and satisfies the following property: Let<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, be the components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If for some i and j with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, the vertex <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is adjacent in H to the vertex <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x78.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x78.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x79.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x78.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x79.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x80.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> has degree k and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x78.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x79.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x80.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Since A is nonempty and for every <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, M is non-empty. By Claim 2, the property holds with <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> because the way in which we have picked the vertices <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> or <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x86.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> which go into N. Clearly, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x86.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>be a subset of the set of vertices of T of degree k in T. At the same time, we find that a vertex v of T adjacent to a vertex in G but not in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x86.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x88.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x86.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x88.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x89.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Let T be a k-tree of H with as many k degree vertices as possible and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be subsets of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with degree k as above. Suppose that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is one component of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is nonempty, we select <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x95.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and suppose that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x95.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x95.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, be the components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x95.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x98.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Claim 4. For m and n, with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, if there exists a vertex <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> adjacent to a vertex <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x103.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> in H. Then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x103.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x103.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x105.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Suppose that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>). Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, we may obtain a new k-tree <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> from T of H by deleting one of the edges joining <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> to components <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> (or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) from T and adding the edge <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x115.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> in T. Clearly, y has degree less than k in k-tree <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x115.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x116.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of H. Then combine <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x115.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x116.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x117.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> we know this is contradictive to Claim 3. The conclusion holds.</p><p>By taking <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x118.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> as the claims and let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x118.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x119.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be maximal, then we obtain the follows claim as a straightforward consequence.</p><p>Claim 5. Let T be a k-tree of H with maximal number of k degree vertices. Then, there is no edge of H joining any components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x120.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Given our choice of T, M and N as above, we derive a contradiction by assuming that there is an edge yz of H with endpoints y and z joining two components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If the path in T joining y and z contains a vertex of M, then by claim 3, either y or z is in N which is absurd. Then this path contains no vertex of M and y and z are therefore in the same component <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for some i with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Now let w be a vertex of N on the path in T joining y and z and let<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, be the components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Now let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be the set of all vertices of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> having property of claim 4. Further, let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> contains y or z, claim 2 holds with <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> replacing M and N, respectively. Moreover, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is greater than<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x136.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. But this contradicts to our choice of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x136.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x137.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and N. This shows that there is no edge in H joining any components of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x136.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x137.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Now we are ready for the proof of theorem 2.1.</p><p>The proof of theorem 2.1. Since A is nonempty and thus H is an induced proper subgraph of G, we have<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. By claim 5 we know that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. At the same time, we know that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x141.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> reaches minimum when <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x141.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x142.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is itself a tree. Thus we have</p><disp-formula id="scirp.65755-formula819"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x143.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>On the other hand, since <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x144.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for any cut-set <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x144.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x145.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> we have</p><disp-formula id="scirp.65755-formula820"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x146.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>and,</p><disp-formula id="scirp.65755-formula821"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/8-1200277x147.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>This is a contradiction. Therefore A is empty and the proof is completed.</p></sec><sec id="s3"><title>Acknowledgements</title><p>We thank the editor and the referee for their comments. Research of Qingning Wang and Xiaoling Wang is funded by the National Science Foundation grant 11561056. This support is greatly appreciated.</p></sec><sec id="s4"><title>Cite this paper</title><p>Yinkui Li,Qingning Wang,Xiaoling Wang, (2016) The Rupture Degree of Graphs with k-Tree. Open Journal of Discrete Mathematics,06,105-107. doi: 10.4236/ojdm.2016.62011</p></sec></body><back><ref-list><title>References</title><ref id="scirp.65755-ref1"><label>1</label><mixed-citation publication-type="other" xlink:type="simple">Win, S. (1975) Existenz von gerusten mit vorgeschriebenen maximalgrad in graphen. 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