Tree (graph theory)

In mathematics, and more specifically in graph theory, a tree is an undirected graph in which any two vertices are connected by exactly one path. In other words, any acyclic connected graph is a tree. A forest is a disjoint union of trees.

The various kinds of data structures referred to as trees in computer science have underlying graphs that are trees in graph theory, although such data structures are generally rooted trees. A rooted tree may be directed, called a directed rooted tree, either making all its edges point away from the root—in which case it is called an arborescence,branching, or out-tree—, or making all its edges point towards the root—in which case it is called an anti-arborescence or in-tree. A rooted tree itself has been defined by some authors as a directed graph.

The term "tree" was coined in 1857 by the British mathematician Arthur Cayley.

Definitions

Tree

A tree is an undirected graph G that satisfies any of the following equivalent conditions: