Opuscula Math. 30, no. 1 (2010), 37-51
http://dx.doi.org/10.7494/OpMath.2010.30.1.37

Opuscula Mathematica

# Dominating sets and domination polynomials of certain graphs, II

Saeid Alikhani
Yee-hock Peng

Abstract. The domination polynomial of a graph $$G$$ of order $$n$$ is the polynomial $$D(G,x) = \sum _{i=\gamma(G)}^n d(G,i)x^i$$, where $$d(G,i)$$ is the number of dominating sets of $$G$$ of size $$i$$, and $$\gamma (G)$$ is the domination number of $$G$$. In this paper, we obtain some properties of the coefficients of $$D(G,x)$$. Also, by study of the dominating sets and the domination polynomials of specific graphs denoted by $$G^{\prime}(m)$$, we obtain a relationship between the domination polynomial of graphs containing an induced path of length at least three, and the domination polynomial of related graphs obtained by replacing the path by shorter path. As examples of graphs $$G^{\prime}(m)$$, we study the dominating sets and domination polynomials of cycles and generalized theta graphs. Finally, we show that, if $$n \equiv 0,2(mod\, 3)$$ and $$D(G,x) = D(C_n, x)$$, then $$G = C_n$$.

Keywords: domination polynomial, dominating set, cycle, theta graph.

Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C69, 11B83.

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• Saeid Alikhani
• Yazd University, Department of Mathematics, 89195-741 Yazd, Iran
• Yee-hock Peng
• University Putra Malaysia, Department of Mathematics, Institute for Mathematical Research, 43400 UPM Serdang, Malaysia
• Revised: 2009-09-03.
• Accepted: 2009-09-09.