Brownian approximation to counting graphs

Soumik Pal

Published 2012-01-27, updated 2012-06-01Version 2

Let C(n,k) denote the number of connected graphs with n labeled vertices and n+k-1 edges. For any sequence (k_n), the limit of C(n,k_n) as n tends to infinity is known. It has been observed that, if k_n=o(\sqrt{n}), this limit is asymptotically equal to the $k_n$th moment of the area under the standard Brownian excursion. These moments have been computed in the literature via independent methods. In this article we show why this is true for k_n=o(\sqrt[3]{n}) starting from an observation made by Joel Spencer. The elementary argument uses a result about strong embedding of the Uniform empirical process in the Brownian bridge proved by Komlos, Major, and Tusnady.