Recolouring planar graphs of girth at least five

For a positive integer k, the k-recolouring graph of a graph G has as vertex set all proper k-colourings of G with two k-colourings being adjacent if they differ by the colour of exactly one vertex. A result of Dyer et al. regarding graphs of bounded degeneracy implies that the 7-recolouring graphs of planar graphs, the 5-recolouring graphs of triangle-free planar graphs and the 4-recolouring graphs planar graphs of girth at least six are connected. On the other hand, there are planar graphs whose 6-recolouring graph is disconnected, triangle-free planar graphs whose 4-recolouring graph is disconnected and planar graphs of any given girth whose 3-recolouring graph is disconnected. The main result of this paper consists in showing, via a novel application of the discharging method, that the 4-recolouring graph of every planar graph of girth five is connected. This completes the classification of the connectedness of the recolouring graph for planar graphs of given girth. We also prove some theorems regarding the diameter of the recolouring graph of planar graphs