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arXiv · 2602.14500

k-Mutual Visibility in Graphs

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the notion of $k$-mutual visibility, a relaxation of classical mutual visibility in which every pair of selected vertices is joined by a shortest path containing at most $k$ internal vertices of the selected set. This parameterized concept naturally generalizes classical mutual visibility and provides a graded notion of obstruction tolerance. We define the $k$-mutual visibility number $\mu_k(G)$ and establish its fundamental properties. We derive bounds on $\mu_k(G)$ in terms of graph parameters such as diameter and girth, and determine its exact value for several fundamental graph classes. We further investigate $k$-mutual visibility in convex subgraphs and characterize it in block graphs by introducing the notion of $k$-admissible sets in the associated block-cutpoint tree. We present a polynomial-time algorithm, kMV, that recognizes whether a given subset $S\subseteq V(G)$ is a $k$-mutual visibility set of $G$. We also formulate the $k$-Mutual Visibility decision problem and prove that it is NP-complete. Finally, we define the $k$-mutual visibility covering number $\tau_k(G)$ and establish several of its fundamental properties.

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BibTeXRIS

Tonny K B, Shikhi M. 2026-02-16. k-Mutual Visibility in Graphs. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.14500

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