Variable neighborhood search for extremal graphs. 5. Three ways to automate finding conjectures

The AutoGraphiX system determines classes of extremal or near-extremal graphs with a variable neighborhood search heuristic. From these, conjectures may be deduced interactively. Three methods, a numerical, a geometric and an algebraic one are proposed to automate also this last step. This leads to automated deduction of previous conjectures, strengthening of a series of conjectures from Graffiti and obtention of several new conjectures, four of which are proved. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.