Independent sets in graphs with an excluded clique minor

Abstract

Graphs and AlgorithmsLet G be a graph with n vertices, with independence number α, and with no Kt+1-minor for some t ≥ 5. It is proved that (2α - 1)(2t - 5) ≥ 2n - 5. This improves upon the previous best bound whenever n≥2/5t2.