# On the hull number of some graph classes

2 COATI - Combinatorics, Optimization and Algorithms for Telecommunications
CRISAM - Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée , Laboratoire I3S - COMRED - COMmunications, Réseaux, systèmes Embarqués et Distribués
Abstract : In this paper, we study the geodetic convexity of graphs focusing on the problem of the complexity to compute a minimum hull set of a graph in several graph classes. For any two vertices $u,v\in V$ of a connected graph $G=(V,E)$, the closed interval $I[u,v]$ of $u$ and $v$ is the the set of vertices that belong to some shortest $(u,v)$-path. For any $S \subseteq V$, let $I[S]= \bigcup_{u,v\in S} I[u,v]$. A subset $S\subseteq V$ is geodesically convex or convex if $I[S] = S$. In other words, a subset $S$ is convex if, for any $u,v \in S$ and for any shortest $(u,v)$-path $P$, $V(P) \subseteq S$. Given a subset $S\subseteq V$, the convex hull $I_h[S]$ of $S$ is the smallest convex set that contains $S$. We say that $S$ is a hull set of $G$ if $I_h[S] = V$. The size of a minimum hull set of $G$ is the hull number of $G$, denoted by $hn(G)$. The {\sc Hull Number} problem is to decide whether $hn(G)\leq k$, for a given graph $G$ and an integer $k$. Dourado {\it et al.} showed that this problem is NP-complete in general graphs. In this paper, we answer an open question of Dourado {\it et al.}~\cite{Douradoetal09} by showing that the {\sc Hull Number} problem is NP-hard even when restricted to the class of bipartite graphs. Then, we design polynomial time algorithms to solve the {\sc Hull Number} problem in several graph classes. First, we deal with the class of complements of bipartite graphs. Then, we generalize some results in~\cite{ACGSS11} to the class of $(q,q-4)$-graphs and to cacti. Finally, we prove tight upper bounds on the hull numbers. In particular, we show that the hull number of an $n$-node graph $G$ without simplicial vertices is at most $1+\lceil \frac{3(n-1)}{5}\rceil$ in general, at most $1+\lceil \frac{n-1}{2}\rceil$ if $G$ is regular or has no triangle, and at most $1+\lceil \frac{n-1}{3}\rceil$ if $G$ has girth at least $6$.
Document type :
Journal articles
Domain :
Liste complète des métadonnées

Cited literature [18 references]

https://hal.inria.fr/hal-00770650
Contributor : Julio Araujo <>
Submitted on : Monday, January 7, 2013 - 12:07:34 PM
Last modification on : Friday, April 12, 2019 - 10:18:09 AM
Document(s) archivé(s) le : Monday, April 8, 2013 - 11:20:39 AM

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### Citation

Julio Araujo, Victor Campos, Frédéric Giroire, Nicolas Nisse, Leonardo Sampaio, et al.. On the hull number of some graph classes. Theoretical Computer Science, Elsevier, 2013, 475, pp.1-12. ⟨10.1016/j.tcs.2012.12.035⟩. ⟨hal-00770650⟩

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