Planar Lattice Subsets with Minimal Vertex Boundary

Abstract

A subset of vertices of a graph is minimal if, within all subsets of the same size, its vertex boundary is minimal. We give a complete, geometric characterization of minimal sets for the planar integer lattice $X$. Our characterization elucidates the structure of all minimal sets, and we are able to use it to obtain several applications. We show that the neighborhood of a minimal set is minimal. We characterize uniquely minimal sets of $X$: those which are congruent to any other minimal set of the same size. We also classify all efficient sets of $X$: those that have maximal size amongst all such sets with a fixed vertex boundary. We define and investigate the graph $G$ of minimal sets whose vertices are congruence classes of minimal sets of $X$ and whose edges connect vertices which can be represented by minimal sets that differ by exactly one vertex. We prove that G has exactly one infinite component, has infinitely many isolated vertices and has bounded components of arbitrarily large size. Finally, we show that all minimal sets, except one, are connected.