The threshold dimension and irreducible graphs

Abstract

Let $G$ be a graph, and let $u$, $v$, and $w$ be vertices of $G$. If the distance between $u$ and $w$ does not equal the distance between $v$ and $w$, then $w$ is said to resolve $u$ and $v$. The metric dimension of $G$, denoted $\beta(G)$, is the cardinality of a smallest set $W$ of vertices such that every pair of vertices of $G$ is resolved by some vertex of $W$. The threshold dimension of $G$, denoted $\tau(G)$, is the minimum metric dimension among all graphs $H$ having $G$ as a spanning subgraph. In other words, the threshold dimension of $G$ is the minimum metric dimension among all graphs obtained from $G$ by adding edges. If $\beta(G) = \tau(G)$, then $G$ is said to be irreducible. We give two upper bounds for the threshold dimension of a graph, the first in terms of the diameter, and the second in terms of the chromatic number. As a consequence, we show that every planar graph of order $n$ has threshold dimension $O (\log_2 n)$. We show that several infinite families of graphs, known to have metric dimension $3$, are in fact irreducible. Finally, we show that for any integers $n$ and $b$ with $1 \leq b < n$, there is an irreducible graph of order $n$ and metric dimension $b$.