In 1992 Biró, Hujter and Tuza introduced, for every fixed connected graph $H$, the class of $H$-graphs, defined as the intersection graphs of connected subgraphs of some subdivision of $H$. Recently, quite a lot of research has been devoted to understanding the tractability border for various computational problems, such as recognition or isomorphism testing, in classes of $H$-graphs for different graphs $H$. In this work we undertake this research topic, focusing on the recognition problem. Chaplick, Töpfer, Voborn\'ık, and Zeman showed, for every fixed tree $T$, a polynomial-time algorithm recognizing $T$-graphs. Tucker showed a polynomial time algorithm recognizing $K_3$-graphs (circular-arc graphs). On the other hand, Chaplick at al. showed that recognition of $H$-graphs is $NP$-hard if $H$ contains two different cycles sharing an edge. The main two results of this work narrow the gap between the $NP$-hard and $P$ cases of $H$-graphs recognition. First, we show that recognition of $H$-graphs is $NP$-hard when $H$ contains two different cycles. On the other hand, we show a polynomial-time algorithm recognizing $L$-graphs, where $L$ is a graph containing a cycle and an edge attached to it ($L$-graphs are called lollipop graphs). Our work leaves open the recognition problems of $M$-graphs for every unicyclic graph $M$ different from a cycle and a lollipop. Other results of this work, which shed some light on the cases that remain open, are as follows. Firstly, the recognition of $M$-graphs, where $M$ is a fixed unicyclic graph, admits a polynomial time algorithm if we restrict the input to graphs containing particular holes (hence recognition of $M$-graphs is probably most difficult for chordal graphs). Secondly, the recognition of medusa graphs, which are defined as the union of $M$-graphs, where $M$ runs over all unicyclic graphs, is $NP$-complete.

An H-graph is the intersection graph of connected subgraphs of a suitable subdivision of a fixed graph H, introduced by Biró, Hujter and Tuza (1992). We focus on S_d-graphs as a special case generalizing interval graphs. A graph G is an S_d-graph iff it is the intersection graph of connected subgraphs of a subdivision of a star S_d with d rays. We give an FPT algorithm to solve the isomorphism problem for S_d-graphs with the parameter d. This solves an open problem of Chaplick, Töpfer, Voborník and Zeman (2016). In the course of our proof, we also show that the isomorphism problem of S_d-graphs is computationally at least as hard as the isomorphism problem of posets of bounded width.