Reduction of an input instance to INDEPENDENT SET to an equivalent input instance to VERTEX COVER.
For a given graph $G = ( V , E )$ and integer $k$, the INDEPENDENT SET problem is to find whether G contains an Independent Set of size $\geq k$.
For a given graph $G = ( V , E )$ and integer $k$, the VERTEX COVER problem is to find whether G contains a Vertex Cover of size $\leq k$.
In a graph $G = \{ V , E \}$, $S$ is an Independent Set $\Leftrightarrow (V - S)$ is a Vertex Cover.
1. If $S$ is an Independent Set, there is no edge $e = (u,v)$ in $G$, such that both $u,v \in S$. Hence for any edge $e = (u,v)$, at least one of $u, v$ must lie in $(V-S)$. $\Rightarrow (V-S)$ is a vertex cover in G.
2. If $(V-S)$ is a Vertex Cover, then between any pair of vertices $(u,v) \in S$ if there exist an edge $e$, none of the endpoints of $e$ would exist in $(V - S)$ violating the definition of vertex cover. Hence no pair of vertices in $S$ can be connected by an edge. $\Rightarrow S$ is an Independent Set in G.
Hence G contains an Independent Set of size $k$ $\Leftrightarrow $ G contains a Vertex Cover of size $\left\vert{V}\right\vert - k$.