Degree powers in graphs with a forbidden forest

Abstract

Given a positive integer $p$ and a graph $G$ with degree sequence $d_1,\dots,d_n$, we define $e_p(G)=\sum_{i=1}^n d_i^p$. Caro and Yuster introduced a Turán-type problem for $e_p(G)$: Given a positive integer $p$ and a graph $H$, determine the function $ex_p(n,H)$, which is the maximum value of $e_p(G)$ taken over all graphs $G$ on $n$ vertices that do not contain $H$ as a subgraph. Clearly, $ex_1(n,H)=2ex(n,H)$, where $ex(n,H)$ denotes the classical Turán number. Caro and Yuster determined the function $ex_p(n, P_\ell)$ for sufficiently large $n$, where $p\geq 2$ and $P_\ell$ denotes the path on $\ell$ vertices. In this paper, we generalise this result and determine $ex_p(n,F)$ for sufficiently large $n$, where $p\geq 2$ and $F$ is a linear forest. We also determine $ex_p(n,S)$, where $S$ is a star forest; and $ex_p(n,B)$, where $B$ is a broom graph with diameter at most six.