English

Some results on minimum skew zero forcing sets, and skew zero forcing number

Combinatorics 2014-05-16 v2

Abstract

Let GG be a graph, and ZZ a subset of its vertices, which we color black, while the remaining are colored white. We define the skew color change rule as follows: if uu is a vertex of GG, and exactly one of its neighbors vv, is white, then change the color of vv to black. A set ZZ is a skew zero forcing set for GG if the application of the skew color change rule (as many times as necessary) will result in all the vertices in GG colored black. A set ZZ is a minimum skew zero forcing set for GG if it is a skew zero forcing set for GG of least cardinality. The skew zero forcing number \sZ(G)\sZ (G) is the minimum of Z|Z| over all skew zero forcing sets ZZ for GG. In this paper we discuss graphs that have extreme skew zero forcing number. We characterize complete multipartite graphs in terms of \sZ(G)\sZ (G). We note relations between minimum skew zero forcing sets and matchings in some bipartite graphs, and in unicyclic graphs. We establish that the elements in the set of minimum skew zero forcing sets in certain bipartite graphs are the bases of a matroid.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1404.1618,
  title  = {Some results on minimum skew zero forcing sets, and skew zero forcing number},
  author = {Luz M. DeAlba},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1404.1618},
  year   = {2014}
}

Comments

Theorem 3.9 was removed from version 1, and replaced with a counter example

R2 v1 2026-06-22T03:44:10.636Z