The lower and upper forcing geodetic numbers of block–cactus graphs

Abstract

A vertex set D in graph G is called a geodetic set if all vertices of G are lying on some shortest u– v path of G, where u, v ∈ D. The geodetic number of a graph G is the minimum cardinality among all geodetic sets. A subset S of a geodetic set D is called a forcing subset of D if D is the unique geodetic set containing S. The forcing geodetic number of D is the minimum cardinality of a forcing subset of D, and the lower and the upper forcing geodetic numbers of a graph G are the minimum and the maximum forcing geodetic numbers, respectively, among all minimum geodetic sets of G. In this paper, we find out the lower and the upper forcing geodetic numbers of block–cactus graphs.