A characterization of Konig-Egervary graphs using a common property of all maximum matchings

Abstract

The independence number of a graph G, denoted by alpha(G), is the cardinality of an independent set of maximum size in G, while mu(G) is the size of a maximum matching in G, i.e., its matching number. G is a Konig-Egervary graph if its order equals alpha(G)+mu(G). In this paper we give a new characterization of Konig-Egervary graphs. We also deduce some properties of vertices belonging to all maximum independent sets of a Konig-Egervary graph.