International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science

Volume 1, Issue 6, pp. 52-54, 2017. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

The Open Neighborhood Number of a Graph

Nayaka S. R1., Puttaswamy2, Purushothama S.3
1, 2
Department of Mathematics, PES College of Engineering, Mandya, India-571 401
3
M.I.T. Mysore, Mysuru, India-571438

Abstract—Let G be a graph. A subset S of vertices in a graph G is an open neighborhood set if where denotes an open
neighborhood of a vertex . The minimum cardinality of an open neighborhood set is called the open neighborhood number of a graph, denoted
by . In this paper, we initiate the study of the open neighborhood number. We determine this number for some standard family of graphs
and some bounds are obtained. Further we study the effect of the operation maximum degree based vertex addition on this parameter.

Keywords— Open Neighborhood set, Open Neighborhood number, Edge lifting.

open neighborhood set of cardinality is called

I. INTRODUCTION
an -set.
Let be any graph. The concept of neighborhood From the definition of the open neighborhood number, it
number of a graph was introduced by E. Sampathkumar and follows that the open neighborhood number is defined only
Prabha S. Neeralagi [ ] in 1985. In the article[ ], they for connected graphs of order at least two. Therefore, we
obtained some bounds and relationship of the parameter with assume that by a graph in , we mean a connected graph of
other known graph theoretic parameters. In 1988, P.P. Kale order at least two.
[ ]correct some of the results mentioned in the article [ ]. Observations:
Further study on this parameter was done by V.R. Kulli [ ] in 1. Let be a complete graph. Then .
1992. Motivated by this, in this article, we are initiating the 2. Let be a star or a wheel graph. Then .
study of the graph parameter open neighborhood number of a 3. Suppose is an edge in such that
graph. As usual, throughout this article, we assume that by a
graph we mean a finite, undirected graph without loops and
multiple edges. Theorem 2.2: Let be a Cycle or a Path with
For each vertex , the open neighborhood of is the ⌈ ⌉
set containing all the vertices adjacent to and the vertices. Then {
closed neighborhood of is the set [ ] . ⌈ ⌉
Let be any subset of , then the open neighborhood of is
Proof: Let be a path or a cycle of order Fisrt,
and the closed neighborhood of is
[ ] suppose Since no vertex in is adjacent to
The minimum and maximum of the degree among the itself, for each vertex there must be one more vertex from its
vertices of is denoted by and respectively. A neighborhood to cover it. Therefore, ⌈ ⌉. On the
graph is said to be regular if . A vertex of a other hand, will be a
graph is called a cut vertex if its removal increases the
number of components. A bridge or cut edge of a graph is an open neighborhood set of of cardinality ⌈ ⌉
edge whose removal increases the number of components. A Next, assume that Clearly
vertex of degree one is called a pendant vertex. An edge is an open neighborhood set of
incident to a pendant vertex is called a pendant edge. The cardinality ⌈ ⌉. Let be any open neighborhood set of
graph containing no cycle is called a tree. A complete bi-
partite graph is a tree called as claw. Any graph cardinality less than ⌈ ⌉ As in the above case, since no
containing no sub-graph isomorphic to is called a claw- vertex is adjacent to itself, the graph induced by that vertex
free graph.
does not contain that vertex itself. Further, ⌈ ⌉ vertices
II. THE OPEN NEIGHBORHOOD NUMBER OF A GRAPH induces the graph not containing themselve. Thus, cannot
In this section, we define the neighborhood number of a be a open neigborhood set. This proves that ⌈ ⌉
graph and calculate the number for some standard family of Definition2.3 [ ]: For any two positive integers with
graphs.
the Jahangir graph is a graph of order ,
Definition2.1: A subset S of vertices in a graph G is an open
neighborhood set if where denotes consisting of a cycle of order with one vertex adjacent to
an open neighborhood of a vertex . The minimum exactly vertices of at a distance to each other.
cardinality of an open neighborhood set is called the open Jahangir graph is shown in figure 1.
neighborhood number of a graph, denoted by . Any

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 1, Issue 6, pp. 52-54, 2017. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

Proof: Let be a complete multipartite graph

with Let be any two vertices
taken from and for Then clearly, the graph
induced by will be and so .
Since always, it follows that .
Corollary 2.7: Let be a complete bipartite graph, then

Definition 2.8: A firefly graph

is a graph on vertices having
triangles, pendant paths of length and
pendant edges sharing a common vertex.
Let be the set of all Firefly graphs Note
Fig 1: that contains the stars , stretched stars
), friendship graphs and
Theorem2.4: Let be a Jahangir graph. Then
butterfly graphs .
⌈ ⌉
Proof: Let be a Jahangir graph of order
and let such that is the
vertex at the center adjacent to exactly vertices. Clearly, the
set is an open neighborhood set of
cardinality ⌈ ⌉ . Therefore ⌈ ⌉ On the
other hand, assume that is an open neighborhood set of
Suppose that . Then, the open neighborhood number of
co-incides with that of cycle of order Thus,
⌈ ⌉ which is not possible. Therefore, we must have .
Further, as covers vertices, its removal splits
into components each isomorphic to . Selecting one
vertex from every two components, it follows that
Therefore, ⌈ ⌉
Theorem2.5: Let be a Jahangir graph. Then
Figure 2: Firefly graph

Proof: Let be a Jahangir graph with and Theorem2.9: Let be a firefly graph. Then
let , where is the .
vertex at the center, adjacent to vertices of . Assume that Proof: Let be a firefly graph with
i.e., , for some positive integer pendant paths. Let be a vertexcommon to triangles,
. From the definition of Jahangir graphs, the vertex is pendant paths of length 2 and the pendant edges. Then, the
adjacent to vertices of at a distance . Removing neighbourhood of includes except the leaves of
the vertex from , the graph induced by pendant paths. Thus, together with all leaves of pendant
splits into components each component paths will be an open neighborhood set of Therefore,
isomorphic to . Therefore, the minimum open
neighborhood set of is obtained by taking open Proposition2.10: Let and be any two graphs. Then
neighborhood set from each component together with .
That is, if , where denotes -set of Proof: Let and be any two graphs. From the definition
component, then S will be a minimum open of join of two graphs, it follows that each vertex in is
neighborhood set of . Since any vertex not in adjacent to every vertex in . Hence, taking vertex
will be adjacent to exactly one vertex in , no from and a vertex from , the set { will be a
proper subset will be dominating set in . Thus, open neighborhood set of and so .
Proposition2.11: Let be any graph of order and having
no isolated vertices. Then , any graph
Theorem2.6: Let be a complete partite
.
graph with . Then .
Proof: Let be a graph having no isolated vertex and H be

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 1, Issue 6, pp. 52-54, 2017. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

any graph. As the copy of a graph H is attached to the vertices . Therefore, this operation increases the order of the
of , it follows that itself a minimal open neighborhood graph by one and size by two.
set of and so .On the other hand, for any To illustrate the effect of maximum degree based vertex
vertex , the set will not be an open addition on the open neighborhood number of a graph,
neighborhood set as the graph induced by is not consider a bi-star with . Then,
same as . Hence and so . , whereas , for any pair of non-
adjacent vertices in . Let be a path with 3 vertices.
III. SOME BOUNDS FOR Then and and hence .
Thus, the new operation may increase the open
Theorem3.1: Let be any graph. Then, .
neighborhood number of a graph or it may leave unaltered.
Further, if and only if contains an edge of From the above illustrations, it is proved that the operation
degree at least . maximum degree based vertex addition may increase the
Proof: Let G be a graph of order . For any vertex , value of or remain unchanged. But this operation
the open neighborhood of does not contain the vertex does not decrease the value of . Thus, it is possible to
itself. Hence any open neighborhood set must be of order at
partition the class of all graphs into two sets and
least two, proving the lower bound and upper bound holds
where
trivially.
Proposition3.2: Let be a connected graph with
vertices. Then if and only if
Proof: Let G be a connected graph and assume Further, from the above examples it follows that the sets
that . Suppose , since connected there and are non-empty.
Partitioning the vertex set of a graph into subsets of its
exists a vertex such that is an open
vertex set having certain property is also one of the directions
neighborhood set in and hence , a
for the research in graph theory. For example, one such
contradiction. This contradiction shows that . As the partition is domatic partition which is a partition of into
graph is connected, we must have dominating sets. Analogously, we can demand each subset in
Corollary3.3: Let be any graph. Then if and the partition of to have the property being an open
only if each component of is isomorphic to . neighborhood set/neighborhood set instead of the parameter
Theorem3.4: Let be any graph. Then domination alone. We may call this partition of an open
+ neighborhood number partition, similarly, neighborhood
Proof: Let be any graph. For an arbitrary vertex , number partition.
we have [ ]and therefore, we should have Neighborhood set partition exists for all graphs whereas
. Since in an open neighborhood set, each vertex open neighborhood partition exists only for connected graphs
contains a neighbor vertex, it follows that every vertex in a of order at least 2. The maximum cardinality of a open
set possesses a backup. Therefore, we have neighborhood partition set is called open neighborhood
partition number denoted by . Now, begin
investigating the parameter
IV. EFFECT OF MAXIMUM DEGREE BASED VERTEX
ADDITION REFERENCES
In this section, we study the effect of maximum degree [1] P.P. Kale and N.V. Deshpande, “Corrections to the Neighborhood
number of a graph,” Indian J. Pure Appl. Math., 19(9), 927-929,
based vertex addition on the open neighborhood number of a September, 1985.
graph and we partition the class of graphs depending on the [2] V. R. Kulli and Sigarkanti, “Further results on the Neighborhood
effect. number of a graph,” Indian J. Pure Appl. Math., 23(8); 575-577,
When we study the graph theoretic parameters it also August 1992.
[3] E. Sampathkumar and Prabha S. Neeralagi, “The Neighbourhood
important to study the behavior of the parameter when the number of a graph,” Indian J. Pure Appl. Math., 16(2), 126-132,
graph under consideration is modified by applying the graph February 1985.
operations such as vertex or edge addition, removal of a [4] Nayaka S. R., Puttaswamy, and Prakasha K. N., “Transversal
vertex or an edge, edge splitting etc. In this section, we study domination in double graphs” In communication.
the effect of the operation called as maximum degree based
vertex addition on the open neighborhood number of a graph.
Definition4.1: Suppose and be any two non-adjacent
vertices in , then the process of inserting a vertex and
edges and whenever is
called the maximum degree based vertex addition.
The graph obtained on applying this operation once for the
given graph will be denoted by . It clear from the
definition that and

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