Chapter Four

Directed Graphs

Fikre Bogale

Addis Ababa University

Mathematics Department

February 27, 2023

1/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Outline

Outline
Introduction
Definitions and Examples of Directed Graphs (Digraphs)
Representations of Directed Graphs
Types of Graph

2/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Introduction

Directed Graphs are graphs in which the edges are one way.
Such graphs are frequently more useful in various dynamical
systems such as:
Digital computer
Flow system
Communication system
Transportation system

3/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs
Definition
A digraph D is a graph consisting of two things:
1 A set V whose elements are called vertices, points or
node of D.
2 A set E whose elements are order pairs (u, v ) of distinct
vertices called arcs or directed edges of D.

Suppose e = (u, v ) is directed edge in a digraph D. Then the

following terminologies are used
e begins at u and ends at v .
u is initial point of e and v is terminal point of e.
v is the successor of u and u is the predecessor of v .
u is adjacent to v where as v is adjacent from u
If u = v , then e is a loop.
4/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs
Example: Consider the directed graph

Then
e4 = (D, B) 6= (B.D)
e7 is a loop.
e2 and e3 are parallel edges.

Definition
If G is a digraph, then the graph obtained by ignoring the
direction of the edges in G is called the underlined graph of D.
5/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs

Definition
Let G (V , E ) be a digraph and let V 0 be a subset of vertex set
V of G . Suppose E 0 is a subset of E such that the end points
of the edges in E 0 belongs to V 0 . Then H(V 0 , E 0 ) is a sub
digraph of G .

Definition
Suppose G is a directed graph. The
out degree of a vertex v
+
of G , written outdeg (v ) deg (v ) , is the number of edges
beginning at v , and

the indegree of v , written
−
indeg (v ) deg (v ) , is the number of edges ending at v .

6/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Theorem
The sum of the outdegrees of the vertices of the digraph G
equals the sum of the indegrees of the vertices, which equals
the number of edges in G . In other word
X X
deg − (v ) = deg + (v ) = |E | (1)
v ∈V v ∈V

Note
A vertex v in a digraph with zero in degree is called a source
and a vertex u with zero out degree is called a sink.

Representation
We can use Adjacency and Incidence matrix to represent
digraphs like undirected graphs.
7/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Theorem
The sum of the outdegrees of the vertices of the digraph G
equals the sum of the indegrees of the vertices, which equals
the number of edges in G . In other word
X X
deg − (v ) = deg + (v ) = |E | (1)
v ∈V v ∈V

Note
A vertex v in a digraph with zero in degree is called a source
and a vertex u with zero out degree is called a sink.

Representation
We can use Adjacency and Incidence matrix to represent
digraphs like undirected graphs.
7/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Adjacency Matrix:
The Adjacency matrix A = [aij ] of a digraph is defined as a
matrix with:
(
n, where n is number of edges beginning at vi ending at vj
aij =
0, otherwise

Example: Write the adjacency matrix for the graph.

8/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Adjacency Matrix:
The Adjacency matrix A = [aij ] of a digraph is defined as a
matrix with:
(
n, where n is number of edges beginning at vi ending at vj
aij =
0, otherwise

Example: Write the adjacency matrix for the graph.

8/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Solution: since the graph is directed, we can represent by the

adjacency matrix

Note: In adjacency matrix,

the sum of entries in the j th column is the indegree of vj ,
the sum of entries in the i th row is the outdegree of vi ,
the sum of entries of the adjacency matrix is equal to the
number of edges.
9/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Example
 
0 1 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 0
 
0 0 0 0 0 is the adjacency matrix of a digraph
If A =  
1 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 2 0
G , then
1 determine the indegree and outdegree of each vertex.
2 determine the total number of edges in the digraph
3 Draw the digraph

10/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Incidence Matrix:
The Incidence matrix B = [bij ] of a digraph is defined as a
matrix with:

1, if edge ej begins at vertex vi

bij = −1, if edge ej ends at vertex vi

0, otherwise


Note: An incidence matrix has a row for each vertex and

column for each edge.

11/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Incidence Matrix:
The Incidence matrix B = [bij ] of a digraph is defined as a
matrix with:

1, if edge ej begins at vertex vi

bij = −1, if edge ej ends at vertex vi

0, otherwise


Note: An incidence matrix has a row for each vertex and

column for each edge.

11/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Example: Write the incidence matrix for the digraph.

Solution: since the graph has 4 vertices and 6 edges. Then

the incidence
 matrix is 4 × 6. 
1 0 0 1 0 0
−1 −1 0 0 −1 1 
B = 
0 1 −1 0 0 0
0 0 1 −1 1 −1

12/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Representation of a digraph

Example: Write the incidence matrix for the digraph.

Solution: since the graph has 4 vertices and 6 edges. Then

the incidence
 matrix is 4 × 6. 
1 0 0 1 0 0
−1 −1 0 0 −1 1 
B = 
0 1 −1 0 0 0
0 0 1 −1 1 −1

12/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs
Paths
Let G be a directed graph. The concepts of path, trail, and
cycle carry over from undirected graphs to the directed graph
G except that the directions of the edges must agree with the
direction of the path.
Connectivity: There are three types of connectivity in a
directed graph G
1 G is strongly connected or strong, if for any pair of
vertices u and v in G , there is a path from u to v and a
path form v to u.
2 G is unilaterally connected or unilateral, if for any pair of
vertices u and v , there is a path from u to v or a path
from v to u.
3 G is weakly connected or weak if its underlying graph is
connected. 13/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs
Paths
Let G be a directed graph. The concepts of path, trail, and
cycle carry over from undirected graphs to the directed graph
G except that the directions of the edges must agree with the
direction of the path.
Connectivity: There are three types of connectivity in a
directed graph G
1 G is strongly connected or strong, if for any pair of
vertices u and v in G , there is a path from u to v and a
path form v to u.
2 G is unilaterally connected or unilateral, if for any pair of
vertices u and v , there is a path from u to v or a path
from v to u.
3 G is weakly connected or weak if its underlying graph is
connected. 13/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs

Directed Graphs

Example: Consider the following digraph.

Then
1 G is not strongly connected, because there is no path v3
to v1 .
2 G is unilaterally connected and it is weak as well.
3 H is strongly connected.
14/16

Fikre Bogale Chapter Four Directed Graphs