Title: Sparse Kneser graphs are Hamiltonian,
Abstract: For integers $k\geq 1$ and $n\geq 2k+1$, the Kneser graph $K(n,k)$ is the
graph whose vertices are the $k$-element subsets of $\{1,\ldots,n\}$ and whose
edges connect pairs of subsets that are disjoint. The Kneser graphs of the form
$K(2k+1,k)$ are also known as the odd graphs. We settle an old problem due to
Meredith, Lloyd, and Biggs from the 1970s, proving that for every $k\geq 3$,
the odd graph $K(2k+1,k)$ has a Hamilton cycle. This and a known conditional
result due to Johnson imply that all Kneser graphs of the form $K(2k+2^a,k)$
with $k\geq 3$ and $a\geq 0$ have a Hamilton cycle. We also prove that
$K(2k+1,k)$ has at least $2^{2^{k-6}}$ distinct Hamilton cycles for $k\geq 6$.
Our proofs are based on a reduction of the Hamiltonicity problem in the odd
graph to the problem of finding a spanning tree in a suitably defined
hypergraph on Dyck words.