The determining number of a Cartesian product
Debra Boutin · Journal of Graph Theory · 2009
Abstract A set S of vertices is a determining set for a graph G if every automorphism of G is uniquely determined by its action on S. The determining number of G, denoted Det(G), is the size of a smallest determining set. This paper begins by proving that if G=G □⋅□G is the prime factor decomposition of a connected graph then Det(G)=max{Det(G )}. It then provides upper and lower bounds for the determining number of a Cartesian power of a prime connected graph. Further, this paper shows that Det(Qn)=⌈log2n⌉+1 which matches the lower bound, and that Det(K )=⌈log3(2n+1)⌉+1 which for all n is within one of the upper bound. The paper concludes by proving that if H is prime and connected, Det(Hn)=Θ(logn). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory