For any graph G of order n with degree sequence d1 ≥ · · · ≥ dn, we define the double
Slater number s×2(G) as the smallest integer t such that t + d1 + · · · + dt−e ≥
2n − p in which e and p are the number of end-vertices and penultimate vertices
of G, respectively. We show that γ×2(G) ≥ s×2(G), where γ×2(G) is the wellknown
double domination number of a graph G with no isolated vertices. We prove
that the problem of deciding whether the equality holds for a given graph is NPcomplete
even when restricted to 4-partite graphs. We also prove that the problem
of computing γ×2(G) is NP-hard even for comparability graphs of diameter two.
Some results concerning these two parameters are given in this paper improving and
generalizing some earlier results on double domination in graphs. We give an upper
bound on the k-tuple domatic number of graphs with characterization of all graphs
attaining the bound. Finally, we characterize the family of all full graphs, leading to a
solution to an open problem given in a paper by Cockayne and Hedetniemi (Networks
7: 247–261, 1977).