# a clique and an independent set

In my textbook, they provide a graph $H$ and then list examples of the cliques and the independent sets in $H$. \begin{align*}V(H)&=\{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9\}\\E(H)&=\{12,23,39,98,87,74,41,26,25,56,36,69,68,57\}\end{align*}

They list the set $\{4\}$ to be both a clique and an independent set. I am having trouble understanding why $\{4\}$ is both a clique and an independent set.

I know that a subset $S$ is a clique provided that any two distinct vertices are adjacent. So, since $\{4\}$ has only vertex, is it vacuously a clique?

I know that a set $S$ is independent provided $G[S]$ is an edgeless graph. I can see clearly how $\{4\}$ is an edgeless graph since it only has one vertex.

So, can a subset be both a clique and an independent set? Is $\{4\}$ both a clique and an independent set?

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The answer to all of your questions is yes. A single vertex is always vacuously both a clique and an independent set, for exactly the reasons that you give. – Brian M. Scott May 14 '12 at 20:52
@Brian, unless, of course, you allow your graphs to have loops, in which case a single vertex may or may not be an independent set. – Gerry Myerson May 14 '12 at 23:54