Characterization of molecular complexity

Abstract

We put forward a novel index of molecular complexity, ξ, taking into account the symmetry of a molecular graph and the specificity of structural components considered. The ξ index is defined as the sum of augmented valences of all mutually nonequivalent vertices in a molecular graph. The augmented valence of a vertex in a graph is the sum of its valence and valences of all neighboring vertices with the weight 1/2d depending on their distance, d, from the vertex. The ξ index is examined on the set of octane isomers and some special classes of graphs. It is also compared with a certain number of alternative complexity measures considered in the literature.