Game total domination critical graphs

Abstract

In the total domination game played on a graph G, players Dominator and Staller alternately select vertices of G, as long as possible, such that each vertex chosen increases the number of vertices totally dominated. Dominator (Staller) wishes to minimize (maximize) the number of vertices selected. The game total domination number, γtg(G), of G is the number of vertices chosen when Dominator starts the game and both players play optimally. If a vertex v of G is declared to be already totally dominated, then we denote this graph by G|v. In this paper the total domination game critical graphs are introduced as the graphs G for which γtg(G|v)<γtg(G) holds for every vertex v in G. If γtg(G)=k, then G is called k-γtg-critical. It is proved that the cycle Cn is γtg-critical if and only if n(mod6)∈{0,1,3} and that the path Pn is γtg-critical if and only if n(mod6)∈{2,4}. 2-γtg-critical and 3-γtg-critical graphs are also characterized as well as 3-γtg-critical joins of graphs.