Tight Bounds for the N₂-Chromatic Number of Graphs

Abstract

Let $G$ be a connected graph. A vertex coloring of $G$ is an $N_2$-vertex coloring if, for every vertex $v$, the number of different colors assigned to the vertices adjacent to $v$ is at most two. The $N_2$-chromatic number of $G$ is the maximum number of colors that can be used in an $N_2$-vertex coloring of $G$. In this paper, we establish tight bounds for the $N_2$-chromatic number of a graph in terms of its maximum degree and its diameter, and characterize those graphs that attain these bounds.