A note on the disconnection number

We present a simple way to obtain all graphs with a given disconnection number if we know all the graphs with smaller disconnection number. Using this method we answer a question of Sam B. Nadler, i.e. we prove that there exist precisely 26 continua with disconnection number four. Some known results concerning disconnection number are also obtained as simple corollaries. Further we give some estimates on the number of distinct continua with a fixed disconnection number which concerns a problem of Sam B. Nadler.