Planar graphs with maximum degree 4 are either in class 1 or in class 2. The question if the problem to decide whether these graphs belong to one of these classes is NP-complete remains open. A probable answer is \u201dyes\u201d. Therefore, \ufb01nding categories of planar graphs with \u2206=4 that are either 4-edge colourable or a 4-edge colouring assignment exists for most of their edges is an interesting challenge. One parameter to categorize these graphs is the distance between vertices of degree 4. Using this parameter the following result is getting: A planar connected and bridgeless graphG, with \u2206=4 and\u03b4=3, having vertices of degree 4 whose distance is at least 5, is in class 1. A second result comes as a consequence of the \ufb01rst one providing us by a procedure to assign a 4-edge colouring toalmost all the edges of a 4-regular planar graph, withlarge girth. Actually we prove that: A connected bridgeless and planar 4-regular graphG,

edges, where n is the order ofG. Therefore, the fraction of the number of the edges which get a 4-coloring to the size ofG is at least(2g\u2212 3)

1.1.Motivation. It is well known [14] that a graph with maximum degree\u03b4 can have either a \u2206- or a (\u2206+1)-edge colouring. In the \ufb01rst case we say that the graph belongs to class 1 and in the second one that it belongs to class 2. The classi\ufb01cation problem is for a given graph to decide in which of the two classes it belongs to. This problem is NP-complete even when it is limited to cubic graphs [6]. Moreover, this problem remains NP-complete for triangle-free graphs with maximum degree 3 [9].

The general sense is that this problem is also NP-complete for planar graphs, with \u2206=4. Therefore, it is reasonable to \ufb01nd criteria that ensure us either that a planar graphG of maximum degree 4 is 4-edge colourable or that most of its edges can be coloured using colours 1, 2, 3 and 4. In this paper, such as criterion is used, that is the distance between vertices of degree 4. It leads to the following result: A connected planar and bridgeless graphG, with maximum vertex degree \u2206=4 and minimum vertex degree\u03b4=3, having vertices of degree 4 whose distance is at least 5, is in class 1. Using it as a lemma, we give a procedure to assign a 4-edge colouring toalmost all edges of a 4-regular planar graph, withlarge girth. Actually, it is proving that: A connected bridgeless and

1.2.De\ufb01nitions and related work. The graphs we consider are simple, i.e. without loops and without multiple edges. We remind the reader of basic de\ufb01ni- tions that we need. Thechromatic index of a graphG is the minimum number of colours that colour all edges, so that adjacent edges have di\ufb00erent colours. The chromatic index ofG is represented by\u03c7\ue000(G). The maximum degree of the graphG is denoted by \u2206 = \u2206(G). Respectively the maximum degree of the graphG is denoted by\u03b4 =\u03b4(G). A graph is called \u2206-regular if all the vertices have the same degree \u2206. An edge in a connected graph is called abridge if its deletion makes the graph disconnected. The minimum length of a cycle inG is calledgirth and it is denoted byg=g(G). A 2-factor of a graphG is a spanning 2-regular subgraph ofG. Obviously, a 2-factor can be either one circle or some disjoint circles. It is known that every 4-regular graph has two 2-factors.

1.3.A result we need. Tait\u2019s proved that the four-colour problem (every pla- nar map is coloured with 4 colours) holds if and only if every planar, bridgeless 3-regular graph is 3-edge colourable [13]. The 4-colour theorem was proven in 1977 [1] and that means that a bridgeless planar and cubic graph is 3-edge colourable.

circleC4 (a circle of length four). Using this transformation, a planar, cubic and bridgeless graph is getting, see \ufb01g 1. In a 3-edge colouring the four edges that are adjacent to the circleC4 can be coloured either with one colour or with two colours. In the second case opposite edges must get di\ufb00erent colours, see \ufb01g2.

without getting any further problem, see for example \ufb01gures 3 and 4. The case in which colour 4 it is possible to used more times is shown in \ufb01g4. Actually, it has used 3 times. Colour 4 is assigned in an edge at distance 2 apart from a vertex with degree 4. That means that it is not possible to get a non-legal 4-edge colouring; i.e. two adjacent edges having colour 4, vertices of degree 4