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Bipartite Graphs

The document defines and discusses bipartite graphs. It provides the definition of a bipartite graph as one whose vertices can be partitioned into two independent and non-empty sets. It includes examples of bipartite graphs and observations about them, such as trees being bipartite and odd cycles not being bipartite. It also presents a theorem stating that a graph is bipartite if and only if it contains no odd cycles, proving this theorem.

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42 views2 pages

Bipartite Graphs

The document defines and discusses bipartite graphs. It provides the definition of a bipartite graph as one whose vertices can be partitioned into two independent and non-empty sets. It includes examples of bipartite graphs and observations about them, such as trees being bipartite and odd cycles not being bipartite. It also presents a theorem stating that a graph is bipartite if and only if it contains no odd cycles, proving this theorem.

Uploaded by

kumbhakararjun92
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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An Introduction to Bipartite Graphs

If P is a path from the vertex v to the vertex u, we refer to P as a v-u path (or often just a vu-
path). If P is a v-u path, say v = v0 v1v2 …vk …vm = u , then we refer to vi vi +1 …v j (for any
0 ! i < j ! m ) as the vi - v j subpath of P. A shortest v-u path is called a v-u geodesic.

Note that if the path P: v = v0 v1v2 …vk …vm = u is a v-u geodesic, then for every 0 ! i ! m ,
d(v, vi ) = i, and in particular the length of a v-u geodesic is d(v,u), the distance from v to u.
Also, for any such v-u geodesic, d(vi ,u) = m ! i . Thus if x is any vertex on P, the v-x subpath
of P is a shortest v-x path, and the x-u subpath of P is a shortest x-u path. Thus x = v j where
d(v, x) = j .

A set S of vertices of a graph G is said to be independent if no two vertices of S are adjacent.


Also, we refer to the subgraph induced by S as an independent subgraph. Similarly, S is said
to be complete if every two vertices of S are adjacent, and we refer to the subgraph induced
by S as a complete subgraph.

Definition. A graph G is bipartite if it is the trivial graph or if its vertex set can be partitioned
into two independent, non-empty sets A and B.
We refer to { A, B} as a bipartiton of V (G).
Note: Some people require a bipartite graph to be non-trivial.

Examples include any even cycle, any tree, and the graph below.

A Few Observations
(i). No odd cycle is bipartite.
(ii). Trees are bipartite.
(iii). If G is bipartite, then so is every subgraph of G.
(iv). If G is bipartite, then it is possible to assign colors red and blue to the vertices of G in
such a way, that no two vertices of the same color are adjacent.
(v). G is bipartite if and only if each of its components is bipartite.
Theorem. A graph G is bipartite if and only if it has no odd cycles.
Proof. First, suppose that G is bipartite. Then since every subgraph of G is also bipartite, and
since odd cycles are not bipartite, G cannot contain an odd cycle. That’s the easy direction.

Now suppose that G is a non-trivial graph that has no odd cycles. We must show that G is
bipartite. So we must determine a partition of the vertices of G into independent sets.
It is enough to prove our result for connected graphs since if G is bipartite, so is every
component of G (and vice versa).

So, now consider any vertex a of G. Let A = {v : d(v, a) is even}. Similarly, define,
B = {v : d(v, a) is odd} . Clearly then V (G) = A !
! B . We will be finished if we can show that
A and B are independent sets.

So we assume that A is not independent and show that this leads to a contradiction.
Suppose that x and y are adjacent vertices of A. We may assume that for some integers k, m
that d(a, x) = 2k,!and d(a, y) = 2m.

Now let P be a shortest a-x path, and Q a shortest a-y path.


Say P is a = v0 v1v2 …v2 k = x and Q is a = u0u1u2 …u2 m = y .

We might notice here that y cannot be on P and x cannot be on Q . (Be sure that you can
explain why this is true.)

Let w be the vertex in V (P) ! V (Q} that is closest to x.

So, w = v j = u j where d(a, w) = j . So now consider P ! , the w-x subpath of P, and Q! , the
w-y subpath of Q. Then V ( P ! ) " V (Q! ) = {w}.

But then the cycle formed by following P ! from w to x, then the edge xy, and then following
Q! in reverse from y to w is an odd cycle; more precisely, the cycle
w = v j v j +1v j + 2 …v2 k !1 xyu2 m !1u2 m ! 2 …w has length ( 2k ! j ) +)(2m ! j) + 1 = 2(k + m ! j) + 1 ,
which is odd.

But this contradicts the assumption that G has no odd cycles. Thus it must be that A is
independent. A similar argument shows that B is independent.
So our result is proven.

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