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A $(1,1,2,2)$-coloring of a graph is a partition of its vertex set into four sets two of which are independent and the other two are $2$-packings. In this paper, we prove that every claw-free cubic graph admits a $(1,1,2,2)$-coloring. This implies that the conjecture from [Packing chromatic number, $(1,1,2,2)$-colorings, and characterizing the Petersen graph, Aequationes Math.\ 91 (2017) 169--184] that the packing chromatic number of subdivisions of subcubic graphs is at most $5$ is true in the case of claw-free cubic graphs., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, 17 references

Given a graph $G$ and a family of graphs $\cal F$, an $\cal F$-isolating set, as introduced by Caro and Hansberg, is any set $S\subset V(G)$ such that $G - N[S]$ contains no member of $\cal F$ as a subgraph. In this paper, we introduce a game in which two players with opposite goals are together building an $\cal F$-isolating set in $G$. Following the domination games, Dominator (Staller) wants that the resulting $\cal F$-isolating set obtained at the end of the game, is as small (as big) as possible, which leads to the graph invariant called the game $\cal F$-isolation number, denoted $\iota_{\rm g}(G,\cal F)$. We prove that the Continuation Principle holds in the $\cal F$-isolation game, and that the difference between the game $\cal F$-isolation numbers when either Dominator or Staller starts the game is at most $1$. Considering two arbitrary families of graphs $\cal F$ and $\cal F'$, we find relations between them that ensure $\iota_{\rm g}(G,{\cal{F}}') \leq \iota_{\rm g}(G,{\cal{F}})$ for any graph $G$. A special focus is given on the isolation game, which takes place when ${\cal F}=\{K_2\}$. We prove that $\iota_{\rm g}(G,\{K_2\})\le |V(G)|/2$ for any graph $G$, and conjecture that $\lceil 3|V(G)|/7\rceil$ is the actual (sharp) upper bound. We prove that the isolation game on a forest when Dominator has the first move never lasts longer than the one in which Staller starts the game. Finally, we prove good lower and upper bounds on the game isolation numbers of paths $P_n$, which lead to the exact values $\iota_{\rm g}(P_n,\{K_2\})=\left\lfloor\frac{2n+2}{5}\right\rfloor$ when $n \equiv i \pmod 5$ and $i \in \{1,2,3\}$., Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, 18 references

A graph is well-dominated if all its minimal dominating sets have the same cardinality. In this paper we prove that at least one factor of every connected, well-dominated Cartesian product is a complete graph, which then allows us to give a complete characterization of the connected, well-dominated Cartesian products if both factors have order at least $2$. In particular, we show that $G\,\Box\,H$ is well-dominated if and only if $G\,\Box\,H = P_3 \,\Box\,K_3$ or $G\,\Box\,H= K_n \,\Box\,K_n$ for some $n\ge 2$., Comment: 17 pages

The Grundy domination number, ${\gamma_{\rm gr}}(G)$, of a graph $G$ is the maximum length of a sequence $(v_1,v_2,\ldots, v_k)$ of vertices in $G$ such that for every $i\in \{2,\ldots, k\}$, the closed neighborhood $N[v_i]$ contains a vertex that does not belong to any closed neighborhood $N[v_j]$, where $j

Given a simple, finite graph with vertex set $V(G)$, we define a zero forcing set of $G$ as follows. Choose $S\subseteq V(G)$ and color all vertices of $S$ blue and all vertices in $V(G) - S$ white. The color change rule is if $w$ is the only white neighbor of blue vertex $v$, then we change the color of $w$ from white to blue. If after applying the color change rule as many times as possible eventually every vertex of $G$ is blue, we call $S$ a zero forcing set of $G$. $Z(G)$ denotes the minimum cardinality of a zero forcing set. Davila and Henning proved in \cite{zerocubic} that for any claw-free cubic graph $G$, $Z(G) \le \frac{1}{3}|V(G)| + 1$. We show that if $G$ is $2$-edge-connected, claw-free, and cubic, then $Z(G) \le \left\lceil\frac{5n(G)}{18}\right\rceil+1$. We also study a similar graph invariant known as the loop zero forcing number of a graph $G$ which happens to be the dual invariant to the Grundy domination number of $G$. Specifically, we study the loop zero forcing number in two particular types of planar graphs.

The orientable domination number, ${\rm DOM}(G)$, of a graph $G$ is the largest domination number over all orientations of $G$. In this paper, ${\rm DOM}$ is studied on different product graphs and related graph operations. The orientable domination number of arbitrary corona products is determined, while sharp lower and upper bounds are proved for Cartesian and lexicographic products. A result of Chartrand et al. from 1996 is extended by establishing the values of ${\rm DOM}(K_{n_1,n_2,n_3})$ for arbitrary positive integers $n_1,n_2$ and $n_3$. While considering the orientable domination number of lexicographic product graphs, we answer in the negative a question concerning domination and packing numbers in acyclic digraphs posed in [Domination in digraphs and their direct and Cartesian products, J. Graph Theory 99 (2022) 359-377].

The power domination problem focuses on finding the optimal placement of phase measurement units (PMUs) to monitor an electrical power network. In the context of graphs, the power domination number of a graph $G$, denoted $\gamma_P(G)$, is the minimum number of vertices needed to observe every vertex in the graph according to a specific set of observation rules. In \cite{ZKC_cubic}, Zhao et al. proved that if $G$ is a connected claw-free cubic graph of order $n$, then $\gamma_P(G) \leq n/4$. In this paper, we show that if $G$ is a claw-free diamond-free cubic graph of order $n$, then $\gamma_P(G) \le n/6$, and this bound is sharp. We also provide new bounds on $\gamma_P(G \Box H)$ where $G\Box H$ is the Cartesian product of graphs $G$ and $H$. In the specific case that $G$ and $H$ are trees whose power domination number and domination number are equal, we show the Vizing-like inequality holds and $\gamma_P(G \Box H) \ge \gamma_P(G)\gamma_P(H)$.

Power domination is a two-step observation process that is used to monitor power networks and can be viewed as a combination of domination and zero forcing. Given a graph $G$, a subset $S\subseteq V(G)$ that can observe all vertices of $G$ using this process is known as a power dominating set of $G$, and the power domination number of $G$, $\gamma_P(G)$, is the minimum number of vertices in a power dominating set. We introduce a new partition on the vertices of a graph to provide a lower bound for the power domination number. We also consider the power domination number of the Cartesian product of two graphs, $G \Box H$, and show certain graphs satisfy a Vizing-like bound with regards to the power domination number. In particular, we prove that for any two trees $T_1$ and $T_2$, $\gamma_P(T_1)\gamma_P(T_2) \leq \gamma_P(T_1 \Box T_2)$.

In \cite{nr-1996} Nowakowski and Rall listed a series of conjectures involving several different graph products. In particular, they conjectured that $i(G\times H) \ge i(G)i(H)$ where $i(G)$ is the independent domination number of $G$ and $G\times H$ is the direct product of graphs $G$ and $H$. We show this conjecture is false, and, in fact, construct pairs of graphs for which $\min\{i(G), i(H)\} - i(G\times H)$ is arbitrarily large. We also give the exact value of $i(G\times K_n)$ when $G$ is either a path or a cycle., Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables