On the Relationships between Domination, Isolation, and Packing

Abstract

We consider the relationships between the domination number of graph, denoted $γ$, and the distance-$2$ domination number, denoted $γ_2$, and three parameters that lie between them: the packing number, denoted $ρ$, the lower packing number, denoted $ρ_L$, and the isolation number, denoted $ι$. There has been recent attention on the question of whether $γ/ρ$ is bounded or unbounded for various families of graphs. We consider similar questions for the ratios of the five parameters. In particular we show that, while $γ/ρ_L$ is unbounded in trees, it holds that $ι/γ_2$ is less than $2$ for all trees. Further, $γ/ρ_L$ is at most $3$ in interval graphs, at most~$4$ in permutation graphs, and at most $5$ in general asteroidal-triple-free graphs. We also show that every tree has a set of vertices that is both isolating and a packing, and characterize trees where $ρ=ρ_L$.