Sharp upper bounds on the $k$-independence number in graphs with given minimum and maximum degree

Abstract

The $k$-independence number of a graph $G$ is the maximum size of a set of vertices at pairwise distance greater than $k$. In this paper, for each positive integer $k$, we prove sharp upper bounds for the $k$-independence number in an $n$-vertex connected graph with given minimum and maximum degree.

16 pages, 11 figures