By the construction of suitable graphs and the determination of their chromatic polynomials, we resolve two open questions concerning real chromatic roots. First we exhibit graphs for which the Beraha number $B_{ 10} = (5 + \sqrt{ 5})/2$ is a chromatic root. As it was previously known that no other non-integer Beraha number is a chromatic root, this completes the determination of precisely which Beraha numbers can be chromatic roots. Next we construct an infinite family of $3$-connected graphs such that for any $k \geqslant 1$, there is a member of the family with $q=2$ as a chromatic root of multiplicity at least $k$. The former resolves a question of Salas and Sokal [J. Statist. Pys. 104 (2001) pp. 609--699] and the latter a question of Dong and Koh [J. Graph Theory 70 (2012) pp. 262--283].

Categories: math.CO

Chromatic roots at 2 and at the Beraha number $B_{10}$