International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Engineering

Volume 4, Issue 6, ISSN (Online): 2249–071X, ISSN (Print): 2278–4209

Applications of Graph Theory in Computer Science

U. Sekar
Faculty in the Department of Mathematics
Alpha Arts and Science College, Chennai-116
Email: [email protected]

Abstract – The field of mathematics plays vital role in of finding the path with the minimum cumulative cost in
various fields. One of the important areas in mathematics is either time or distance between points on the network.
graph theory which is used in structural models. This In graph theory, the shortest path problem is the
structural arrangements of various objects or technologies problem of finding a path between two vertices (or nodes)
lead to new inventions and modifications in the existing
in a directed weighted graph such that the sum of the
environment for enhancement in those fields. The field graph
theory started its journey from the problem of Konigsberg weights of its constituent edges is minimized.
Bridge in 1735. This paper gives an overview of the In this study all nodes of graph are represented as
applications of graph theory in heterogeneous fields to some places in the city, edges represents roads or paths
extent but mainly focuses on the computer science between places and the weight of the edge represents cost
applications that uses graph theoretical concepts. Various or length of cable or water pipeline.
papers based on graph theory have been studied related to
scheduling concepts, computer science applications and an
overview has been presented here.Graph theoretical ideas
II. APPLICATIONS OF GRAPH THEORY
are highly utilized by computer science applications.
Especially in research areas of computer science such data Graph theoretical concepts are widely used to study
mining, image segmentation, clustering, image capturing, and model various applications, in different areas. They
networking etc., For example a data structure can be include, study of molecules, construction of bonds in
designed in the form of tree which in turn utilized vertices chemistry and the study of atoms. Similarly, graph theory
and edges. Similarly modeling of network topologies can be is used in sociology for example to measure actors
done using graph concepts. In the same way the most prestige or to explore diffusion mechanisms. Graph
important concept of graph coloring is utilized in resource theory is used in biology and conservation efforts where a
allocation, scheduling. Also, paths, walks and circuits in vertex represents regions where certain species exist and
graph theory are used in tremendous applications say
the edges represent migration path or movement between
traveling salesman problem, database design concepts,
resource networking. This leads to the development of new the regions. This information is important when looking at
algorithms and new theorems that can be used in tremendous breeding patterns or tracking the spread of disease,
applications. First section gives the historical background of parasites and to study the impact of migration that affect
graph theory and some applications in scheduling. Second other species. Graph theoretical concepts are widely used
section emphasizes how graph theory is utilized in various in Operations Research. For example, the traveling
computer applications salesman problem, the shortest spanning tree in a weighted
graph, obtaining an optimal match of jobs and men and
Keywords – Bipartite Graph, Ad-Hoc Networks, Geometric locating the shortest path between two vertices in a graph.
Spanner, Median Graph.
It is also used in modeling transport networks, activity
networks and theory of games. The network activity is
I. INTRODUCTION used to solve large number of combinatorial problems.
The most popular and successful applications of networks
A network is a system of points with distances between in OR is the planning and scheduling of large
them. A network can represent roads, pipelines, cables complicated projects. The best well known problems are
etc. Typical problems with networks involve finding the PERT (Project Evaluation Review Technique) and CPM
shortest path between one point in the network and (Critical Path Method). Next, Game theory is applied to
another. In many real occasions, various attributes the problems in engineering, economics and war science to
(various costs and profits) are usually considered in a find optimal way to perform certain tasks in competitive
shortest path problem. Because of the frequent occurrence environments. To represent the method of finite game a
of such network structured problems, there is a need to digraph is used. Here, the vertices represent the positions
develop an efficient procedure for handling these and the edges represent the moves.
problems. Algorithms and graph Theory:
Think of a map as an instance of a graph, the cities The major role of graph theory in computer applications
are the nodes and the roads between cities are the edges. is the development of graph algorithms. Numerous
The length of the road is the weight of the corresponding algorithms are used to solve problems that are modeled in
edge. Shortest path analysis finds the path with the the form of graphs. These algorithms are used to solve the
minimum cumulative impedance between nodes on a graph theoretical concepts which intern used to solve
network. The path may connect just two nodes – the the corresponding computer science application
origin and destination –or have specific stops between problems.
the nodes. It is based on a network with the objective

Copyright © 2013 IJECCE, All right reserved

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 International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Engineering
Volume 4, Issue 6, ISSN (Online): 2249–071X, ISSN (Print): 2278–4209

Various computer languages are used to support the Pre coloring Extension:
graph theory concepts. The main goal of such languages is In certain scheduling problems, the assignments of
to enable the user to formulate operations on graphs in a jobs are already decided. In such cases pre coloring
compact and natural manner technique can be adopted. Here some vertices of the
Some Graph Theoretic Languages are: graph will have pre assigned color and the pre coloring
1. SPANTREE – To find a spanning tree in the given problem has to be solved by extending the coloring of the
graph. vertices for the whole graph using minimum number of
2. GTPL – Graph Theoretic Language colors.
3. GASP – Graph Algorithm Software Package List Coloring:
4. HINT – Extension of LISP In list coloring problem, each vertex v has a list of
5. GRASPE – Extension of LISP available colors and we have to find a coloring where the
6. IGTS – Extension of FORTRAN color of each vertex is taken from the list of available
7. GEA – Graphic Extended ALGOL (Extension of colors. This list coloring can be used to model situations
ALGOL) where a job can be processed only in certain time slots or
8. AMBIT – To manipulate digraphs can be processed only by certain machines.
9. GIRL – Graph Information Retrieval Language Minimum sum Coloring:
10. FGRAAL – FORTRAN Extended Graph Algorithmic In minimum sum coloring, the sum of the colors
Language assigned to the vertices is minimal in the graph. The
Use of Graph Enumeration Techniques: minimum sum coloring technique can be applied to the
Graph enumeration technique is used to identify the scheduling theory of minimizing the sum of completion
computerized chemical identification. The list of all times of the jobs. The multicolor version of the problem
distinct chemical structures will be generated based on the can be used to model jobs with arbitrary lengths. Here, the
given chemical formula and the valence rules for any new finish time of a vertex is the largest color assigned to it
substance. To identify the chemical compounds and the sum of coloring is the sum of the finish time of
automatically, a computer language called DENDRAL the vertices. That is the sum of the finish times in a
has been developed. multi coloring is equal to the sum of completion times
Graph theory in OR: in the corresponding schedule.
Graph theory is a very natural and powerful tool in Timetable Scheduling:
combinatorial operations research. Some important OR Allocation of classes and subjects to the professors is
problems that can be solved using graphs are given here. one of the major issues if the constraints are complex.
A network called transport network where a graph is used Graph theory plays an important role in this problem. For
to model the transportation of commodity from one place m professors with n subjects the available number of p
to another. The objective is to maximize the flow or periods timetable has to be prepared. This is done as
minimize the cost within the prescribed flow. The graph follows.
theoretic approach is found more efficient for these types A bipartite graph (or bi graph is a graph whose vertices
of can be divided into two disjoint sets U and V such that
Problems though they have more Constraints. every edge connects a vertex in U to one in V; that is, U
Graph Coloring techniques in Scheduling: and V are independent sets) G where the vertices are the
Here some scheduling problems that uses variants of number of professors say m1, m2, m3, m4, ……. mk and
graph coloring methodologies such as pre coloring, list n number of subjects say n1, n2, n3, n4, ……. nm such
coloring Multi coloring sum coloring are given in brief. that the vertices are connected by pi edges. It is presumed
Job Scheduling: that at any one period each professor can teach at most one
Here the jobs are assumed as the vertices of the graph subject and that each subject can be taught by maximum
and there is an edge between two jobs if they cannot be one professor. Consider the first period. The timetable
executed simultaneously. There is a 1-1 correspondence for this single period corresponds to a matching in the
between the feasible schedulings of the jobs and the graph and conversely, each matching corresponds to a
colorings of the graph. possible assignment of professors to subjects taught during
that period. So, the solution for the timetabling problem
IV. AIRCRAFT SCHEDULING will be obtained by partitioning the edges of graph G into
minimum number of matching. Also the edges have to be
Assuming that there are k aircrafts and they have to be colored with minimum number of colors. This problem
assigned n flights. The ith flight should be during the time can also be solved by vertex coloring algorithm. “ The
interval (ai, bi). If two flights overlap, then the same line graph L(G) of G has equal number of vertices and
aircraft cannot be assigned to both the flights. This edges of G and two vertices in L(G) are connected by an
Problems is modeled as graphs as follows: edge iff the corresponding edges of G have a vertex in
The vertices of the graph correspond to the flights. common. The line graph L(G) is a simple graph and a
Two vertices will be connected, if the corresponding proper vertex coloring of L(G) gives a proper edge
time intervals overlap. Therefore, the graph is an interval coloring of G by the same number of colors. So, the
graph that can be colored optimally in polynomial time. problem can be solved by finding minimum proper vertex
coloring of L(G).” For example, Consider there are 4
Copyright © 2013 IJECCE, All right reserved
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 International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Engineering
Volume 4, Issue 6, ISSN (Online): 2249–071X, ISSN (Print): 2278–4209

professors namely m1, m2, m3, m4,. and 5 subjects say with course code - cs303; course type – theory; Instructor
n1, n2, n3, n4, n5 to be taught. The teaching requirement – Prof B; Stream – CSE; Group – 0; Semester – 2;
matrix p = [pij] is given below. The two vertices have the same values for stream,
semester and group and so they cannot occur
p n1 n2 n3 n4 n5
simultaneously. Therefore, an edge will be drawn between
m1 2 0 1 i 0
v1 and v2. The algorithm is given by the authors as
m2 0 1 0 1 0 follows:
m3 0 1 1 1 0 Graph construction Algorithm:
m4 0 0 10 1 1  Enter the course structure with the details
 Enter the number of available rooms
The teaching requirement matrix for four professors and  Allocate the rooms to the courses satisfying different
five subjects constraints in a fashion.
The bipartite graph is constructed as follows.  Create vertices of the graph
1) A heuristic search using ACO to generate initial
population.
2) The Evolutionary Algorithm with some modification
Combination of the above two is used to represent the
set of integers (chromosomes) where the integer set is the
color of the nodes. The position of these integers is the
node numbers to which a particular color is assigned.
Then the authors used a special mutation operator to
Finally, the authors found that proper coloring of the improve the chromosome in the pool. The adjacency
above mentioned graph can be done by 4 colors using matrix is given as input to the mementic algorithm (The
the vertex coloring algorithm which leads to the edge combination of ACO and modified GA) which has been
coloring of the bipartite multi graph G. developed to color the graph. The best coloration is
Four colors are interpreted to four colors. chosen as the output. Then from the above coloration
The Schedule for four subjects. method, the final timetable is prepared. [2]
----- 1 2 3 4 Map Coloring and GSM mobile phone network:
m1 n1 n2 n3 n4 Groups Special Mobile (GSM) is a mobile phone
network where the geographical area of this network is
divided into hexagonal regions or cells. Each cell has a
One more timetabling problem:
communication tower which connects with mobile
College Course Timetabling Problem (CCTP) can be
phones within the cell. All mobile phones connect to the
solved by graph coloring algorithm.
GSM network by searching for cells in the neighbours.
 Creation of vertices and edges of the graph from the
Since GSM operate only in four different frequency
constraints.
ranges, it is clear by the concept of graph theory that only
 Finding the coloration of the created graph with the
four colors can be used to color the cellular regions. These
specified number of colors using soft computing
four different colors are used for proper coloring of the
approach.
regions. Therefore, the vertex coloring algorithm may be
 Preparation of final time table.
used to assign at most four different frequencies for any
Since this paper focuses to stress the importance of
GSM mobile phone network.
graph applications the graph theory part of the CCTP
paper is given here. Some constraints are
 Class room utilization V. CONCLUSION
 Classes held for the same stream lab as well as theory
 Room preferences The main aim of this paper is to present the importance
 Professors available of graph theoretical ideas in various areas of compute
 Number of periods applications for researches that they can use graph
 Preference of practical classes by the professors etc., theoretical concepts for the research. An overview is
Here, a single vertex is represented by the structure with presented especially to project the idea of graph theory.
the members namely, the course code, course type, stream, So, the graph theory section of each paper is given
semester, time of day, number of days, period, room and importance than to the other sections. Researches may get
vertex number. The graph is created by means of a two some information related to graph theory and its
dimensional matrix n x n where n represents the number applications in computer field and can get some ideas
of vertex. Each vertex represents a class. related to their field of research.
Consider the value of two vertices:
V1: course code - cs301; Course type – theory;
Instructor – Prof. A; Stream – CSE; Group – 0; Semester
– 2; Time of day – 1; Number of days – 3; Period – 1;
Room – A-304; Vertex number – 30; and the vertex V2

Copyright © 2013 IJECCE, All right reserved

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 International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Engineering
Volume 4, Issue 6, ISSN (Online): 2249–071X, ISSN (Print): 2278–4209

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