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Assume $ m \lt n$ and call a graph with this property an $(m,n)$ graph. As you already know,

  • A set of $k$ disjoint edges ( a one factor) is a $(1,2k)$ graph.
  • $k$ triangles sharing one common vertex (a windmill graph) is a $(2,2k+1)$ graph.
  • the complete graph $K_{m+1}$ is an $(m,n)$ graph.

That is all the possibilities. For $m=1$ this is clear. For $m=2$ it is a theorem of Erdős, Rényi and Sós. That proof uses eigenvalue techniques, which is surprising for the simple conclusion. Other proofs have been given, none of them immediate. This paperThis paper includes a fairly simple proof along with a discussion of other proofs and more fruitful generalizations such as : " any pair of vertices has exactly $m$ common neighbors. "

Consider first $m=3.$ Let $G$ be a $(3,n)$ graph. Choose any three vertices $u,v,w.$ Their common neighbor $x$ has degree $d(x) \ge 3$. Consider $H$, the induced graph on these $d(x)$ vertices. It is a $(2,d(x))$ graph because for any two vertices $y,z \in H$, a common neighbor of $y,z$ in $H$ is the same as a common neighbor of $x,y,z$ in $G$, so there is exactly one. Furthermore, $H$ is a triangle since otherwise there would $t,q,r,s \in H$ with $t$ a common neighbor of $q,r,s.$ However we already have $x$ as the unique common neighbor of $q,r,s$ in $G$. Since $u,v,w$ are pairwise connected and were any three vertices, $G$ is a complete graph, $G=K_4$.

Now by induction, when $G$ is an $(m+1,n)$ graph for $ m \ge 3$, the induced graph $H$ on the neighbors of any vertex $x$ is an $(m,d(x))$ graph and hence $K_m$ meaning that $G$ is $K_{m+1}.$

Assume $ m \lt n$ and call a graph with this property an $(m,n)$ graph. As you already know,

  • A set of $k$ disjoint edges ( a one factor) is a $(1,2k)$ graph.
  • $k$ triangles sharing one common vertex (a windmill graph) is a $(2,2k+1)$ graph.
  • the complete graph $K_{m+1}$ is an $(m,n)$ graph.

That is all the possibilities. For $m=1$ this is clear. For $m=2$ it is a theorem of Erdős, Rényi and Sós. That proof uses eigenvalue techniques, which is surprising for the simple conclusion. Other proofs have been given, none of them immediate. This paper includes a fairly simple proof along with a discussion of other proofs and more fruitful generalizations such as : " any pair of vertices has exactly $m$ common neighbors. "

Consider first $m=3.$ Let $G$ be a $(3,n)$ graph. Choose any three vertices $u,v,w.$ Their common neighbor $x$ has degree $d(x) \ge 3$. Consider $H$, the induced graph on these $d(x)$ vertices. It is a $(2,d(x))$ graph because for any two vertices $y,z \in H$, a common neighbor of $y,z$ in $H$ is the same as a common neighbor of $x,y,z$ in $G$, so there is exactly one. Furthermore, $H$ is a triangle since otherwise there would $t,q,r,s \in H$ with $t$ a common neighbor of $q,r,s.$ However we already have $x$ as the unique common neighbor of $q,r,s$ in $G$. Since $u,v,w$ are pairwise connected and were any three vertices, $G$ is a complete graph, $G=K_4$.

Now by induction, when $G$ is an $(m+1,n)$ graph for $ m \ge 3$, the induced graph $H$ on the neighbors of any vertex $x$ is an $(m,d(x))$ graph and hence $K_m$ meaning that $G$ is $K_{m+1}.$

Assume $ m \lt n$ and call a graph with this property an $(m,n)$ graph. As you already know,

  • A set of $k$ disjoint edges ( a one factor) is a $(1,2k)$ graph.
  • $k$ triangles sharing one common vertex (a windmill graph) is a $(2,2k+1)$ graph.
  • the complete graph $K_{m+1}$ is an $(m,n)$ graph.

That is all the possibilities. For $m=1$ this is clear. For $m=2$ it is a theorem of Erdős, Rényi and Sós. That proof uses eigenvalue techniques, which is surprising for the simple conclusion. Other proofs have been given, none of them immediate. This paper includes a fairly simple proof along with a discussion of other proofs and more fruitful generalizations such as : " any pair of vertices has exactly $m$ common neighbors. "

Consider first $m=3.$ Let $G$ be a $(3,n)$ graph. Choose any three vertices $u,v,w.$ Their common neighbor $x$ has degree $d(x) \ge 3$. Consider $H$, the induced graph on these $d(x)$ vertices. It is a $(2,d(x))$ graph because for any two vertices $y,z \in H$, a common neighbor of $y,z$ in $H$ is the same as a common neighbor of $x,y,z$ in $G$, so there is exactly one. Furthermore, $H$ is a triangle since otherwise there would $t,q,r,s \in H$ with $t$ a common neighbor of $q,r,s.$ However we already have $x$ as the unique common neighbor of $q,r,s$ in $G$. Since $u,v,w$ are pairwise connected and were any three vertices, $G$ is a complete graph, $G=K_4$.

Now by induction, when $G$ is an $(m+1,n)$ graph for $ m \ge 3$, the induced graph $H$ on the neighbors of any vertex $x$ is an $(m,d(x))$ graph and hence $K_m$ meaning that $G$ is $K_{m+1}.$

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Aaron Meyerowitz
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Assume $ m \lt n$ and call a graph with this property an $(m,n)$ graph. As you already know,

  • A set of $k$ disjoint edges ( a one factor) is a $(1,2k)$ graph.
  • $k$ triangles sharing one common vertex (a windmill graph) is a $(2,2k+1)$ graph.
  • the complete graph $K_{m+1}$ is an $(m,n)$ graph.

That is all the possibilities. For $m=1$ this is clear. For $m=2$ it is a theorem of Erdős, Rényi and Sós. That proof uses eigenvalue techniques, which is surprising for the simple conclusion. Other proofs have been given, none of them immediate. This paper includes a fairly simple proof along with a discussion of other proofs and more fruitful generalizations such as : " any pair of vertices has exactly $m$ common neighbors. "

Consider first $m=3.$ Let $G$ be a $(3,n)$ graph. Choose any three vertices $u,v,w.$ Their common neighbor $x$ has degree $d(x) \ge 3$. Consider $H$, the induced graph on these $d(x)$ vertices. It is a $(2,d(x))$ graph because for any two vertices $y,z \in H$, a common neighbor of $y,z$ in $H$ is the same as a common neighbor of $x,y,z$ in $G$, so there is exactly one. Furthermore, $H$ is a triangle since otherwise there would $t,q,r,s \in H$ with $t$ a common neighbor of $q,r,s.$ However we already have $x$ as the unique common neighbor of $q,r,s$ in $G$. Since $u,v,w$ are pairwise connected and were any three vertices, $G$ is a complete graph, $G=K_4$.

Now by induction, when $G$ is an $(m+1,n)$ graph for $ m \ge 3$, the induced graph $H$ on the neighbors of any vertex $x$ is an $(m,d(x))$ graph and hence $K_m$ meaning that $G$ is $K_{m+1}.$