Sensitivity of the Upper Irredundance Number to Edge Addition

J.E. Dunbar1, T.R. Monroe2, C.A. Whitehead3
1Converse College, Spartanburg, S.C., U.S.A.
2Wofford College, Spartanburg, 5.C., U.S.A.
3Goldsmiths College, London SEL4 6NW, U.K.

Abstract

In this study, we consider the effect on the upper irredundance number \(IR(G)\) of a graph \(G\) when an edge is added joining a pair of non-adjacent vertices of \(G\). We say that \(G\) is \(IR\)-insensitive if \(IR(G + e) = IR(G)\) for every edge \(e \in \overline{E}\). We characterize \(IR\)-insensitive bipartite graphs and give a constructive characterization of graphs \(G\) for which the addition of any edge decreases \(IR(G)\). We also demonstrate the existence of a wide class of graphs \(G\) containing a pair of non-adjacent vertices \(u,v\) such that \(IR(G + uv) > IR(G)\).