Abstract
A vertex subset \(D\subseteq V\) of a graph \(G=(V,E)\) is a dominating set of G if each vertex of G is a member of D or is adjacent to a member of D. The cardinality of a smallest dominating set of G is called the domination number of G and a nonempty graph G is q-critical if q is the smallest number of arbitrary edges of G whose removal from G necessarily increases the domination number of the resulting graph. The classes of q-critical graphs of order n are characterised in this paper for all admissible combinations of values of n and q.



Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bauer, D., Harary, F., Nieminen, J., Sujel, C.L.: Domination alteration sets in graphs. Discret. Math. 47, 153–161 (1983)
Berge, C.: Theory of Graphs and its Applications. Methuen, London (1962)
Fink, J.F., Jacobson, M.S., Kinch, L.F., Roberts, J.: The bondage number of a graph. Discret. Math. 86, 47–57 (1990)
Hartnell, B.L., Jorgensen, L.K., Vestergaard, P.D., Whitehead, C.A.: Edge-stability of the \(k\)-domination number of trees. Bull. Inst. Comb. Appl. 22, 31–40 (1998)
Hartnell, B.L., Rall, D.F.: A characterisation of trees in which no edge is essential to the domination number. Ars Comb. 33, 65–76 (1992)
Haynes, T.W., Hedetniemi, S.T., Slater, P.J.: Fundamentals of Domination in Graphs. Marcel Dekker, New York (1997)
Haynes, T.W., Hedetniemi, S.T., Slater, P.J.: Domination in Graphs: Advanced Topics. Marcel Dekker, New York (1997)
Hu, F.-T., Xu, J.-M.: On complexity of bondage and reinforcement. J. Complex. 28(2), 192–201 (2012)
Ore, O.: Theory of graphs. Am. Math. Soc. Trans. 38, 206–212 (1962)
Teschner, U.: New results about the bondage number of a graph. Discret. Math. 171, 249–259 (1997)
Walikar, H.B., Acharya, B.D.: Domination critical graphs. Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. 2, 70–72 (1979)
Acknowledgments
The author is indebted to Dr Anton de Villiers for producing the graphics in this paper. The anonymous reviewers are also thanked for their suggestions which have improved the quality of the paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Vuuren, J.H. Edge Criticality in Graph Domination. Graphs and Combinatorics 32, 801–811 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00373-015-1607-5
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00373-015-1607-5