Heuristic maximization of the number of spanning trees in regular graphs

This paper deals with the problem of finding graphs (directed and undirected) maximizing the number of spanning trees among the regular graphs with the same number of nodes and edges. The approach is based on heuristic algorithms such as k-optimal and evolutionary. The emphasis is rather on checking whether these techniques are applicable to solving extremal graph problems than investigating generic structures of optimal graphs. For this reason circulant graphs, for which computationally effective tree counting formulas exist, are discussed first and then the results extended to cover the class of regular graphs.