Simple greedy 2-approximation algorithm for the maximum genus of a graph

The maximum genus $γ_M(G)$ of a graph G is the largest genus of an orientable surface into which G has a cellular embedding. Combinatorially, it coincides with the maximum number of disjoint pairs of adjacent edges of G whose removal results in a connected spanning subgraph of G. In this paper we prove that removing pairs of adjacent edges from G arbitrarily while retaining connectedness leads to at least $γ_M(G)/2$ pairs of edges removed. This allows us to describe a greedy algorithm for the maximum genus of a graph; our algorithm returns an integer k such that $γ_M(G)/2\le k \le γ_M(G)$, providing a simple method to efficiently approximate maximum genus. As a consequence of our approach we obtain a 2-approximate counterpart of Xuong's combinatorial characterisation of maximum genus.

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