Connectivity and choosability of graphs with no $K_t$ minor

In 1943, Hadwiger conjectured that every graph with no $K_t$ minor is $(t-1)$-colorable for every $t\ge 1$. While Hadwiger's conjecture does not hold for list-coloring, the linear weakening is conjectured to be true. In the 1980s, Kostochka and Thomason independently proved that every graph with no $K_t$ minor has average degree $O(t\sqrt{\log t})$ and thus is $O(t\sqrt{\log t})$-list-colorable. Recently, the authors and Song proved that every graph with no $K_t$ minor is $O(t(\log t)^β)$-colorable for every $β> \frac 1 4$. Here, we build on that result to show that every graph with no $K_t$ minor is $O(t(\log t)^β)$-list-colorable for every $β> \frac 1 4$. Our main new tool is an upper bound on the number of vertices in highly connected $K_t$-minor-free graphs: We prove that for every $β> \frac 1 4$, every $Ω(t(\log t)^β)$-connected graph with no $K_t$ minor has $O(t (\log t)^{7/4})$ vertices.

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