Complexity aspects of the triangle path convexity

Abstract

A path $P = v_1, ..., v_t$ is a {\em triangle path} (respectively, {\em monophonic path}) of $G$ if no edges exist joining vertices $v_i$ and $v_j$ of $P$ such that $|j - i| > 2$; (respectively, $|j - i| > 1$). A set of vertices $S$ is {\em convex} in the triangle path convexity (respectively, monophonic convexity) of $G$ if the vertices of every triangle path (respectively, monophonic path) joining two vertices of $S$ are in $S$. The cardinality of a maximum proper convex set of $G$ is the {\em convexity number of $G$} and the cardinality of a minimum set of vertices whose convex hull is $V(G)$ is the {\em hull number of $G$}. Our main results are polynomial time algorithms for determining the convexity number and the hull number of a graph in the triangle path convexity.