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On the Relation Between Wiener Index and Eccentricity of a Graph

The relation between the Wiener index $W(G)$ and the eccentricity $\varepsilon(G)$ of a graph $G$ is studied. Lower and upper bounds on $W(G)$ in terms of $\varepsilon(G)$ are proved and extremal graphs characterized. A Nordhaus-Gaddum type result on $W(G)$ involving $\varepsilon(G)$ is given. A sharp upper bound on the Wiener index of a tree in terms of its eccentricity is proved. It is shown that in the class of trees of the same order, the difference $W(T) - \varepsilon(T)$ is minimized on caterpillars. An exact formula for $W(T) - \varepsilon(T)$ in terms of the radius of a tree $T$ is obtained. A lower bound on the eccentricity of a tree in terms of its radius is also given. Two conjectures are proposed. The first asserts that the difference $W(G) - \varepsilon(G)$ does not increase after contracting an edge of $G$. The second conjecture asserts that the difference between the Wiener index of a graph and its eccentricity is largest on paths.