4-chromatic edge critical Grotzsch-Sachs graphs

Let G be a 4-regular plane graph and suppose that G has a cycle decomposition S (i.e., each edge of G is in exactly one cycle of the decomposition) with every pair of adjacent edges on a face always in different cycles of S. Such a graph G arises as a superposition of simple closed curves in the plane with tangencies disallowed. Two 4-chromatic edge critical graphs of order 48 generated by four curves are presented. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.