Solution of Vizing's Problem on Interchanges for the case of Graphs with Maximum Degree 4 and Related Results

Let G be a Class 1 graph with maximum degree 4 and let t ≥ 5 be an integer. We show that any proper t-edge coloring of G can be transformed to any proper 4-edge coloring of G using only transformations on 2-colored subgraphs (so-called interchanges). This settles the smallest previously unsolved case of a well-known problem of Vizing on interchanges, posed in 1965. Using our result we give an affirmative answer to a question of Mohar for two classes of graphs: we show that all proper 5-edge colorings of a Class 1 graph with maximum degree 4 are Kempe equivalent, that is, can be transformed to each other by interchanges, and that all proper 7-edge colorings of a Class 2 graph with maximum degree 5 are Kempe equivalent.