Zero Forcing versus Independence in Subcubic Graphs
Is the zero forcing number of every connected graph with maximum degree $3$ at most its independence number plus one? A connected 24-vertex subcubic graph with independence number $9$ and zero forcing number $11$ refutes this 2017 TxGraffiti conjecture, and a 36-vertex cubic variant refutes the cubic form: $Z = \alpha + 2$ is attained.
Exact FrontierDelta
Scope and record
Occurred: Jul 26, 2026
Delta type: SOURCE CLAIM
Assumptions: VibeMathed verification: unreviewed. Publication: preprint. AI contribution: ai-discovered. Imported under CC BY 4.0.
Canonical aliases: Zero Forcing versus Independence in Subcubic Graphs · Zero forcing vs independence
Confidence: Not scored
Registry verification: unreviewed · preprint · resolved
Attribution
VibeMathed
registry · event recorded by
Mikko Fischer
human · human collaborator
Claude Opus 5
model · ai model contributor · Anthropic
Lineage and corrections
This event attributed to Mikko Fischer
This event attributed to Claude Opus 5