Discrete Mathematics

Planar Graphs
Planar Graphs and Planar Drawings
Euler’s Formula
Boundaries of Regions
Degrees of Region
Face-Edge Handshaking Lemma
Characterization of Planar Graph

Imdadullah Khan

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Planar Graphs
Is it possible to connect the three houses to the three utilities, such that
no connections cross?

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Planar Graphs

Planar Graphs
A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

K3,3

Is it possible to connect the three houses to the three utilities, such that
no connections cross?
Is K3,3 planar?

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Planar Graphs

A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

Just because in a drawing of G edges are crossing doesn’t mean G is not

planar

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Planar Graphs

A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

Just because in a drawing of G edges are crossing doesn’t mean G is not

planar

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Planar Graphs

A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

To prove planarity, move the vertices around, redraw the edges without
crossing (sometimes in a very indirect faction)

Even harder to prove non-planarity

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Planar Graphs

A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

To prove planarity, move the vertices around, redraw the edges without
crossing (sometimes in a very indirect faction)
Even harder to prove non-planarity

K5 K3,3

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Planar Graphs: A characterization

A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without any edge crossing

We will find some invariants that all planar graphs satisfy

To prove non-planarity of a graph G , we will show that G doesn’t satisfy

that invariant

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Planar Graphs: A characterization
A plane drawing of a planar graph divides plane into regions or faces, one
of them the outer face

A region (or face) is a part of the plane disconnected from other parts by
the edges of a graph

outer face
3
4 2
2 3 1 6 4 1 2
1
5

Recall Microsoft paint fill functionality

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Planar Graphs: A characterization
Euler’s Formula: The number of faces of a connected planar graph is
invariant of its drawing and is given by

f =e −v +2 f = |faces|, e = |E |, v = |V |

Verify it for the following planar graphs

outer face
3
4 2
2 3 1 6 4 1 2
1
5

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Planar Graphs: Euler Formula

f =e −v +2 f = |faces|, e = |E |, v = |V |

Add edges of G incident to an existing vertex

1) Take one edge of G

f −e +v =1−1+2=2

2) Add edge with one existing vertex

ei+1 = ei + 1, vi+1 = vi + 1, fi+1 = fi

2) Add edge with two existing vertices 1

ei+1 = ei + 1, vi+1 = vi , fi+1 = fi + 1 2

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Planar Graphs: Boundaries of regions
Degree of a region is the number of edges at its boundary
Number of edges encountered in a walk around the boundary of the region

Degree of each region is at least 3

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Planar Graphs: Boundaries of regions
Degree of a region is the number of edges at its boundary
Number of edges encountered in a walk around the boundary of the region

Degree of each region is at least 3

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Planar Graphs: Boundaries of regions
Degree of a region is the number of edges at its boundary. The number of
edges encountered in a walk around the boundary of the region

Degree of each region is at least 3

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Planar Graphs: Boundaries of regions
Degree of a region is the number of edges at its boundary
Number of edges encountered in a walk around the boundary of the region

Degree of each region is at least 3

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Planar Graphs: Face-Edge Handshaking
Face-Edge Handshaking Lemma
Let G be a planar graph, let R be its regions, then
X
2e = deg (F )
F ∈R

deg (F ) ≥ 3 =⇒ 2e ≥ 3f

From Euler’s formula f − e + v = 2 =⇒ 2/3e − e + v ≥ 2

Theorem
If G is a connected planar graph with v ≥ 3, then

e ≤ 3v − 6

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Planar Graphs: Face-Edge Handshaking

Theorem
If G is a connected planar graph with v ≥ 3, then

e ≤ 3v − 6

Show that K5 is not planar

K5

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Planar Graphs: Face-Edge Handshaking

Theorem
If G is a connected planar graph with v ≥ 3, then

e ≤ 3v − 6

The converse is not true! Consider

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Planar Graphs: Characterization

Theorem
If G is a connected planar graph with v ≥ 3, then

e ≤ 3v − 6

Corollary
If G is a connected planar graph, then G has a vertex of degree at most 5

Using this prove that any planar graph has a proper coloring using at most
5 colors

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Planar Graphs: Characterization
Theorem
If G is a connected planar graph with v ≥ 3 and no cycles of length 3,
e ≤ 2v − 4

Same proof as the above, but use the fact that since no cycle is of length 3,
degree of every region is at least 4

Show that K3,3 is not planar

K3,3

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Planar Graphs: Characterization

Kuratowski’s Theorem
A graph is nonplanar if and only if it contains a subdivision of K3,3 or K5

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