On the block number of graphs

A $k$-block in a graph $G$ is a maximal set of at least $k$ vertices no two of which can be separated in $G$ by deleting fewer than $k$ vertices. The block number $\beta(G)$ of $G$ is the maximum integer $k$ for which $G$ contains a $k$-block. We prove a structure theorem for graphs without a $(k+1)$-block, showing that every such graph has a tree-decomposition in which every torso has at most $k$ vertices of degree $2k^2$ or greater. This yields a qualitative duality, since every graph that admits such a decomposition has block number at most $2k^2$. We also study $k$-blocks in graphs from classes of graphs $\mathcal{G}$ that exclude some fixed graph as a topological minor, and prove that every $G \in \mathcal{G}$ satisfies $\beta(G) \leq c\sqrt[3]{|G|}$ for some constant $c = c( \mathcal{G})$. Moreover, we show that every graph of tree-width at least $2k^2$ has a minor containing a $k$-block. This bound is best possible up to a multiplicative constant.