On-line graph coloring of {mathbb{P}_5}-free graphs

Kierstead et al. (SIAM J Discret Math 8:485–498, 1995) have shown 1 that the competitive function of on-line coloring for -free graphs (i.e., graphs without induced path on 5 vertices) is bounded from above by the exponential function . No nontrivial lower bound was known. In this paper we show the quadratic lower bound . More precisely, we prove that is the exact competitive function for ()-free graphs. In this paper we also prove that 2 - 1 is the competitive function of the best clique covering on-line algorithm for ()-free graphs.