Results on independent sets in categorical products of graphs, the ultimate categorical independence ratio and the ultimate categorical independent domination ratio

Abstract: We show that there are polynomial-time algorithms to compute maximum independent sets in the categorical products of two cographs and two splitgraphs. The ultimate categorical independence ratio of a graph G is defined as lim_{k --> infty} \alpha(G^k)/n^k. The ultimate categorical independence ratio is polynomial for cographs, permutation graphs, interval graphs, graphs of bounded treewidth and splitgraphs. When G is a planar graph of maximal degree three then alpha(G \times K_4) is NP-complete. We present a PTAS for the ultimate categorical independence ratio of planar graphs. We present an O^*(n^{n/3}) exact, exponential algorithm for general graphs. We prove that the ultimate categorical independent domination ratio for complete multipartite graphs is zero, except when the graph is complete bipartite with color classes of equal size (in which case it is 1/2).