K-kernels in generalizations of transitive digraphs

Abstract

Let D be a digraph, V (D) and A(D) will denote the sets of vertices and arcs of D, respectively. A (k, l)-kernel N of D is a k-independent set of vertices (if u, v ∈ N , u 6= v, then d(u, v), d(v, u) ≥ k) and l-absorbent (if u ∈ V (D) − N then there exists v ∈ N such that d(u, v) ≤ l). A k-kernel is a (k, k − 1)-kernel. Quasi-transitive, right-pretransitive and left-pretransitive digraphs are generalizations of transitive digraphs. In this paper the following results are proved: Let D be a right-(left-) pretransitive strong digraph such that every directed triangle of D is symmetrical, then D has a k-kernel for every integer k ≥ 3; the result is also valid for non-strong digraphs in the right-pretransitive case. We also give a proof of the fact that every quasi-transitive digraph has a (k, l)-kernel for every integers k > l ≥ 3 or k = 3 and l = 2. keywords: digraph, kernel, (k, l)-kernel, k-kernel, transitive digraph, quasi-transitive digraph, rightpretransitive digraph, left-pretransitive digraph, pretransitive digraph. AMS Subject Classification: 05C20.