On Ultra $k$-Secure Sets in Graphs

Abstract

In a graph $G=(V,E)$, let $S$ be a non empty subset of $V$. For any $x\in S$, the vertex $x$ and its neighbors inside $S$ are defenders of $x$, whereas those lying outside $S$ are attackers on $x$. An attack on $S$ is an $|S|$-tuple of pairwise disjoint sets of attackers on vertices of $S$, whereas a defense is that of defenders. An attack on $S$ is defendable if $S$ has a defense, which provides at least as many defenders as attackers for each of its vertices. The set $S$ is a secure set if every attack on $S$ is defendable. Further, $S$ is an ultra secure set if $S$ has a defense which successfully defends $S$ against every attack. For an integer $k\geq 0$, a $k$-secure set $S$ is a secure set in which for any attack on $S$, there is a defense of $S$ with $k$ additional defenders for every vertex of $S$ having neighbors outside $S$. As a generalization of ultra security, in this paper ultra $k$-secure sets and ultra $k$-security number of a graph are introduced. A characterization of ultra $k$-secure sets is obtained and using which ultra $k$-security numbers of complete multipartite graphs and grid-like graphs are computed.