Computing the Hosoya Polynomial of Graphs from Primary Subgraphs

Abstract

The Hosoya polynomial of a graph encompasses many of its metric properties, for instance the Wiener index (alias average distance) and the hyper-Wiener index. An expression is obtained that reduces the computation of the Hosoya polynomial of a graph with cut vertices to the Hosoya polynomial of the so-called primary subgraphs. The main theorem is applied to specific constructions including bouquets of graphs, circuits of graphs, chains of graphs, and link of graphs. This is in turn applied to obtain the Hosoya polynomial of several chemically relevant families of graphs. In this way numerous known results are generalized and an approach to obtain them is simplified. Along the way several misprints from the literature are corrected.