Related papers: Counting independent sets in structured graphs
An $n$-vertex, $d$-regular graph can have at most $2^{n/2+o_d(n)}$ independent sets. In this paper we address what happens with this upper bound when we impose the further condition that the graph has independence number at most $\alpha$.…
We prove a tight upper bound on the independence polynomial (and total number of independent sets) of cubic graphs of girth at least 5. The bound is achieved by unions of the Heawood graph, the point/line incidence graph of the Fano plane.…
There has been interest recently in maximizing the number of independent sets in graphs. For example, the Kahn-Zhao theorem gives an upper bound on the number of independent sets in a $d$-regular graph. Similarly, it is a corollary of the…
We consider the problem of devising algorithms to count exactly the number of independent sets of a graph G . We show that there is a polynomial time algorithm for this problem when G is restricted to the class of strongly orderable graphs,…
We introduce methods to count and enumerate all maximal independent, all maximum independent sets, and all independent sets in threshold graphs and k-threshold graphs. Within threshold graphs and k-threshold graphs independent sets…
We develop a notion of containment for independent sets in hypergraphs. For every $r$-uniform hypergraph $G$, we find a relatively small collection $C$ of vertex subsets, such that every independent set of $G$ is contained within a member…
Settling Kahn's conjecture (2001), we prove the following upper bound on the number $i(G)$ of independent sets in a graph $G$ without isolated vertices: \[ i(G) \le \prod_{uv \in E(G)} i(K_{d_u,d_v})^{1/(d_u d_v)}, \] where $d_u$ is the…
The size of a largest independent set of vertices in a given graph $G$ is denoted by $\alpha(G)$ and is called its independence number (or stability number). Given a graph $G$ and an integer $K,$ it is NP-complete to decide whether…
We characterize the connected graphs of given order $n$ and given independence number $\alpha$ that maximize the number of maximum independent sets. For $3\leq \alpha\leq n/2$, there is a unique such graph that arises from the disjoint…
Let $G$ be a triangle-free graph with $n$ vertices and average degree $t$. We show that $G$ contains at least \[ e^{(1-n^{-1/12})\frac{1}{2}\frac{n}{t}\ln t (\frac{1}{2}\ln t-1)} \] independent sets. This improves a recent result of the…
A set of graphs is said to be independent if there is no homomorphism between distinct graphs from the set. We consider the existence problems related to the independent sets of countable graphs. While the maximal size of an independent set…
The notion of a Riordan graph was introduced recently, and it is a far-reaching generalization of the well-known Pascal graphs and Toeplitz graphs. However, apart from a certain subclass of Toeplitz graphs, nothing was known on independent…
We study the problems of bounding the number weak and strong independent sets in $r$-uniform, $d$-regular, $n$-vertex linear hypergraphs with no cross-edges. In the case of weak independent sets, we provide an upper bound that is tight up…
A maximal independent set in a graph $G$ is an independent set that cannot be extended to a larger independent set by adding any vertex from $G$. This paper investigates the problem of determining the maximum number of maximal independent…
In this short survey article, we present an elementary, yet quite powerful, method of enumerating independent sets in graphs. This method was first employed more than three decades ago by Kleitman and Winston and has subsequently been used…
By implementing algorithmic versions of Sapozhenko's graph container methods, we give new algorithms for approximating the number of independent sets in bipartite graphs. Our first algorithm applies to $d$-regular, bipartite graphs…
We show that the number of independent sets in an N-vertex, d-regular graph is at most (2^{d+1} - 1)^{N/2d}, where the bound is sharp for a disjoint union of complete d-regular bipartite graphs. This settles a conjecture of Alon in 1991 and…
For given graph $H$, the independence number $\alpha(H)$ of $H$, is the size of the maximum independent set of $V(H)$. Finding the maximum independent set in a graph is a NP-hard problem. Another version of the independence number is…
Extremal problems involving the enumeration of graph substructures have a long history in graph theory. For example, the number of independent sets in a $d$-regular graph on $n$ vertices is at most $(2^{d+1}-1)^{n/2d}$ by the Kahn-Zhao…
Write ${\cal I}(G)$ for the set of independent sets of a graph $G$ and $i(G)$ for $|{\cal I}(G)|$. It has been conjectured (by Alon and Kahn) that for an $N$-vertex, $d$-regular graph $G$, $$ i(G) \leq \left(2^{d+1}-1\right)^{N/2d}. $$ If…