Global defensive \(k\)-alliances in graphs (Q1003661)

Let \(\Gamma=(V,E)\) be a simple graph. For a nonempty set \(X\subseteq V\), and a vertex \(v\subseteq V\), \(\delta_X(v)\) denotes the number of neighbors \(v\) has in \(X\). A nonempty set \(S\subseteq V\) is a defensive \(k\)-alliance in \(\Gamma =(V,E)\) if \(\delta_S(v)\geq\delta_{\overline S}(v)+k\). \(\forall v\in S\). A defensive \(k\)-alliance \(S\) is called global if it forms a dominating set. The global defensive \(k\)-alliance number of \(\Gamma\), denoted by \(\gamma^a_k(\Gamma)\), is the minimum cardinality of a defensive \(k\)-alliance in \(\Gamma\). We study the mathematical properties of \(\gamma^a_k(\Gamma)\).