The (upper) vertex independence number of a graph, also known as the 1-packing number, packing number, or stability number (Acín et al. 2016) and often called simply "the" independence number, is the cardinality of the largest independent vertex set, i.e., the size of a maximum independent vertex set (which is the same as the size of a largest maximal independent vertex set). The independence number is most commonly denoted α(G), but may also be written β(G) (e.g., Burger et al. 1997) or β_0(G). The independence number of a graph is equal to the largest exponent in the graph's independence polynomial.
We guarantee you’ll find the right tutor, or we’ll cover the first hour of your lesson.