Graph coloring is a main topic in graph theory. Standard questions in 
this area ask what the minimum number of required colors to color a 
graph in a certain way is. Even though those problems are easy to state 
and look simple, most of them are not easy to solve and drive the 
development of modern combinatorics. This course will address various 
topics in graph coloring and will discuss related methods that are also 
used in other areas in combinatorics. Tentative topics include 
probabilistic method, Four Color Theorem, Tutte's flow conjectures, 
list-coloring, algebraic method, Hadwiger's conjecture, fractional 
coloring, topological method, perfect graphs, chi-boundedness.


Prerequisites: Math 613