Higher Engineering Mathematics

Prof. P.N. Agrawal

Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Lecture-34
Isomorphic and Homeomorphic Graphs

Hello friends, welcome to my lecture on Isomorphic and Homeomorphic Graphs. Let us first
discuss Konigsberg work problem, bridge problem.

(Refer Slide Time: 0:43)

In the 18th century, East Prussian town of Konigsberg included 2 islands. This is island A, this is
island B. okay. And 7 bridges shown here in this figure, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. So there are 7 bridges.
Okay. And we have 2 towns, A and B and C and D are the riverbanks. This the river. In the river,
there are 2 islands, A and B. There are 7 bridges and the riverbanks RC and D. So the problem is
beginning anywhere and ending anywhere, can a person walk through the town crossing all 7
bridges but not crossing any bridge twice? Okay. This problem was asked to a Swiss
mathematician, L Euler by the people of Konigsberg.
(Refer Slide Time: 1:35)

And then Euler in 736 proved that such a walk is impossible. He replaced the island by means of
points C and D and the 2 sides islands by means of points A and B. Okay? He represented
islands by means of points A and B and the 2 sides of the river by means of points, C and D. And
the bridges, he represented by curves. Then he obtained this graph. Okay? This graph he
obtained. So in this graph, we can see that all the vertices of this graph, A, B, C, D, you have odd
degrees. Okay? degree (C) = 3, degree of (A) =5, degree of (B) = 3, degree of (D) =3.

(Refer Slide Time: 2:38)

So all the vertices have odd degrees and therefore, this graph is not traversable. Thus, one cannot
walk through Konigsberg so that each bridge is crossed exactly once. Okay.

(Refer Slide Time: 2:52)

Now isomorphic and homeomorphic graphs. Suppose G(V,E) and G ¿(V ¿ , E ¿) are graphs and f is
a one-one mapping from V to V ¿ between the sets of vertices V and V ¿ such that U, V is an edge
of G if and only if f(u), f(v) is an edge of G ¿, okay. Then f is called an isomorphism between G
and G ¿, and G and G ¿ are said to be isomorphic graphs. Let us also see the definition of
homeomorphic graph. Given any graph G, we can obtain a new graph by dividing an edge of G
with additional vertices. Okay?

Two graphs G and G ¿ are called homeomorphic okay if they can be obtained from isomorphic
graphs by this method. So if we are given a graph G, we can obtain a new graph by dividing an
edge of G by by adding vertices okay with additional vertices. So two graphs G and G ¿ are called
homeomorphic if they can be obtained from isomorphic graphs by this method. By this method
means, by adding vertices.
(Refer Slide Time: 4:06)

Now alternate definition of homeomorphic graph. Two graphs are called homeomorphic if both
can you obtain from the same graph by inserting new vertices of degree 2 into its edges. Okay?
So such an operation is called an elementary subdivision.

(Refer Slide Time: 4:24)

Now, let us look at the graphs, G 1 and G 2 here. This is graph G 1, this is graph G 2. Okay. We will
see that both of them are homeomorphic because both can be obtained from the graph G 3 okay,
by adding a vertex to one of its edges. If you add one vertex here okay, let us say either on this
edge or on this edge of graph G 3 okay, so then you can get this graph, okay. So by adding one
vertex either to this edge or to this edge okay we can arrive at this graph G 1 from G 3 okay. And
we can arrive at the graph G 2 by adding one vertex over this edge. Okay.

If you add one vertex over this edge, then you can get this, these edges okay these edges and the
other edges are as such. So this graph G 2 can be obtained from G 3 by adding a vertex on this
edge okay. Let us say this is AB. Adding a vertex on the edge AB and the graph G 1 can be
obtained by adding a vertex on the edge AC or on the edge CD okay. So the graph G 1 and G 2 are
homeomorphic therefore.

(Refer Slide Time: 5:42)

Now, let us look at this figure. Graphs A and B in the figure are not isomorphic. Now you can
see, the graphs A and B are not isomorphic. Why they are not isomorphic? Okay. Because see
we see that two graphs are isomorphic if (u,v) is an edge in a graph G, if and only if (f(u), f(v)) is
an edge of in the graph G dash. So here you see, this is an edge. Okay. Say this is AB, so
corresponding to AB we have edge AʹBʹ okay. Then corresponding to BC, we have BʹCʹ okay.
Now let us see here, we have D okay. So DE, corresponding to edge DE, we have DʹEʹ.

Now corresponding to the edge this one say here we have Fʹ, corresponding to the edge EʹFʹ okay
we do not have here EF okay. Say if you take EʹFʹ edge, then we do not have EF here okay. The
vertices E and F so that uEF corresponds to FEʹ, FBʹ, FFʹ okay. (u,v) is an edge if and only if
(f(u), f(v)) is an edge. Okay. So we do not have a function F one-one onto function F such that
EF corresponds to FE, FF okay. FEF corresponds to FEFF okay. So this is not possible. We do
not have any function F such that whenever (u,v) is an edge okay of the graph A, (f(u), f(v)) is an
edge of the graph B.

So A and B are not isomorphic. No C, they are homeomorphic because they can be obtained
from the graph C by adding appropriate vertices. Now, you can see if you look at the graph C, by
adding vertices one vertex here, one vertex here, you can get the graph B okay. So by adding two
vertices on this edge, we can get the graph B. So B can be obtained from the graph C by adding
some vertices and similarly here if you add one vertex here, on this vertex, on this edge and one
vertex here on this edge okay, then you get this graph. Okay. So A and B are obtainable from the
graph C by adding additional vertices and therefore we can say that the graphs A and B are
homeomorphic. Okay.

(Refer Slide Time: 8:46)

Now, let us consider the graph given in the figure below. So that they are distinct, that is no 2 of
them are isomorphic. Now if you can see in the graph A, there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 edges okay.
Graph A has 6 edges while the graph B and C have 5 edges each. Graph B and C have you can
see here, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So in the graph A there are 6 edges while in the graph B and
C, there are 5 edges. So A is not isomorphic to B and A is not isomorphic to C. So A is not
isomorphic to B and C. okay. Now let us see that B and C are also not isomorphic, okay.

So what we can do let us say this is these are the vertices A, B, C, D. Okay and these are say
vertices Aʹ, Bʹ, Cʹ , and Dʹ okay. So then we can see AB corresponds to Aʹ Bʹ here, BC
corresponds to Bʹ Cʹ here, CE corresponds to Cʹ Eʹ here okay, CD corresponds to CʹDʹ, but there
is no edge corresponding to the edge ED here. Corresponding to edge ED, there is no edge here.
Okay. So we can say that if you consider CD goes to CʹDʹ, CE goes to CʹEʹ, then ED there is no
edge corresponding to ED in the graph C.

Similarly, if you take say for example let us change, we can take another situation. We can
consider another situation whereby we can take like this say A, B, C, then we can consider this
one, this is another situation which is possible, CD, I can take here, D, I can take here, E, I can
take here, then I will have so Aʹ, Bʹ, Cʹ, then we can write say Dʹ. Okay. So CD goes to CʹDʹ and
CE goes to CʹEʹ. Okay. Then ED okay or DE has no edge corresponding to, I mean there is no
edge corresponding to DE in the graph C.

So therefore, B and C are not isomorphic. So since there is no edge corresponding to ED in graph
C okay there is no edge corresponding to ED, ED of graph B, ED of graph B okay there is no
edge corresponding to ED in graph C, B and C are not isomorphic. Okay. But let us show that 2
of them are homeomorphic, okay. So let us see we can consider okay, we can see that B and C
can be obtained okay let us see we can let us consider this graph.

This is one graph okay. So, now another one is, first of all we see that these 2 graphs are
isomorphic, let us consider this. Okay. 1st we consider, so that this graph and this graph are
isomorphic. Say this is A, B, C, D, okay then what we will have? So C goes to, this is Cʹ okay.
She has degree 2 here, so here Cʹ has a degree 2 okay. And here B has degree 2, so this is Bʹ we
can take and then D. okay. So D has degree 2, so I can write it as Dʹ and then A has degree 1, so
I can write this as Aʹ okay.

So, let us consider these 2 graphs. Then we can see that there is one correspondence okay. We
can define the mapping f okay where F is FA which goes to Aʹ okay, FB which goes to Bʹ, FC
which goes to Cʹ, FD which goes to Dʹ. Okay. Aʹ here, A has degree 1 here, here Aʹ has degree 1.
Here B has degree 3. Okay. oh, okay okay, so not like this. This should be Bʹ here, the degree
should be same. So this is Bʹ and there we shall have Cʹ okay. C has degree 2 there. So here Cʹ
has degree 2, here B has degree 3, so Bʹ has degree 3. Okay. D has degree 2 here, so Dʹ has
degree 2 here.

So we can define mapping f which takes A to Aʹ, B to Bʹ, C to Cʹ, D to Dʹ and F is a one one
onto mapping okay. So these 2 graphs are isomorphic and we can see that this graph and this
graph can be obtained from these 2 graphs by taking additional vertices. So what we do? You
take an additional vertex here. Okay. If you take an additional vertex on AB then you will get
this graph okay. This graph will give us this one. Okay. This additional vertex will correspond to
this one.

So when we take an additional vertex on the edge AB in this graph, we get this graph, okay. And
here, if we take an additional vertex on this BʹDʹ okay then we will get this graph okay. So the
graphs B and C can be obtained from 2 isomorphic graphs okay by taking appropriate vertices
and therefore that, therefore we can conclude that the graphs B and C here are homeomorphic.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:56)

Now, let us consider this result. Let G be a connected planar graph not multi-graph, okay. Let G
be a connected planar graph not multi-graph with p vertices and q edges okay where p≥3, then q
≤ 3p-6. So, let us prove this theorem. Let r be the number of regions in this connected planar
graph, then by Euler’s theorem, Euler’s formula p−q+r=2 okay. Now since sum of the degrees
okay sum of the degrees of the regions is equal to twice the number of vertices, we get sum of
the degrees of the regions equal to 2q okay, p is the number of vertices, q is the number of edges,
twice q number of edges.

Sum of the degrees of the regions is equal to twice number of edges. So we get sum of the
degrees of the regions equal to 2q. Okay. Now, we since each region has degree 3 or more, we
know that each region has degree 3 or more, okay, it follows that 2q ≥3r okay. There are r
regions, the degree of a region can be 3 or more okay. So and total degree is equal to 2q, so 2q ≥

2q
3r okay. r. r is less than or equal to r ≤ . Okay. Now let us consider this equation, p−q+r=2.
3

2q 2q 3 p−q
So, we have 2= p−q+r and r ≤ , so p−q+¿ , and this gives you . Okay so that
3 3 3
means 6 ≤3p-q or we can say q ≤3p- 6. Okay. So if G is a connected linear graph, not multi-
graph with p vertices and q edges where p≥3, then number of edges (q) ≤3p- 6. So this result we
shall use later on.
(Refer Slide Time: 20:28)

Let us consider now nonplanar graphs. Let us take 2 examples. Look at the example, in this
example A, in the example A we have a utility graph okay. There are 3 houses, A 1, A 2, A 3okay
which are to be connected to outlets for water, gas and electricity okay B 1, B 2, B 3 as shown in
this figure okay. Then in the figure (a) we have 6 vertices and we have 9 edges okay. You can
see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So 6 vertices are there. p = 6 and number of edges, each vertex is connected to
every other vertex. So 3 for A 1, 3 for A 2, 3 for A 3. So q = 9. Okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:17)

Now, so this is now each vertex is connected A 1, A 2, A 3 is connected to every other vertex. So
this is the graph K 33 okay which has p = 6 vertices and q =9 edges. Now, we have to prove that
this graph is not planar graph okay. Let us assume that the graph is a planar graph. Then by
Euler’s formula, Euler’s formula says, p -q +r = 2. Okay. p = 6, q = 9, okay so we will have r =5.
So if this graph is planar, by Euler’s formula, planar presentation will have 5 regions okay, r= 5.
Now we can notice here that no 3 vertices, okay you take any 3 vertices, no 3 vertices are
connected to each other.

Say, you can take A 1, A 2, B 1 okay, then A 1 is not connected to A 2. Okay. A 1 is connected to B 1,
A 2 is connected to B 2 but A 1 is not connected to A 2. So you can take any of the 3, say A 2, B 2, B 3
you can take. A 2 is connected to B 2, A 2is connected to B 3 but B 2is not connected to B 3. So no 3
vertices are connected to each other and hence the degree of each region must be 4 or more,
okay. If 3 vertices are connected to each other, the degree will be 3. Okay. The degree of the
region will be 3 but if the, if there are no 3 vertices are connected to each other, then the degree
of the region must be 4 or more.

And so, sum of the degrees of the regions must be 20 or more because there are 5 regions okay.
We have seen that r = 5. Each region has degree 4 or more. So sum of the degrees of the regions
must be 20 or more and therefore, the graph must have 10 or more regions okay. Sum of the
degrees, we have seen that sum of the degrees of the regions is equal to twice the number of
edges. So some of the degrees of the regions if it is 20 or more, then the number of region must
be, number of edges must be 10 or more okay. And this is what we have here, number of edges
are only 9. So there is a contradiction and therefore, the utility graph K 33 is nonplanar.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:06)

Now, let us consider the star graph here okay. This is star graph, this one. Okay there are 1, 2, 3,
4, 5. 5 vertices in in graph B, p = 5 and q is equal to we have 1, 2, 3, 4 okay and then we have
here every vertex is connected to every other vertex. Okay. So this here q is equal to number of
vertices that is equal to 10. 5C 2 okay. This is 5C 2 . Okay. So number of vertices is equal to 10 and
since each vertex is connected to every other vertex, it is a K 5 graph.

(Refer Slide Time: 24:47)

Now that is, it is the complete graph K 5 okay. p = 5, q = 10. Now, let us show that this graph is
not a planar graph. Suppose the graph is planar. Then what we will have? Let us apply the
theorem which we have just now proved, this one. If the graph is planar with p vertices and q
edges, where p ≥3, then q ≤ 3p- 6. So let us see what happens here.

(Refer Slide Time: 25:15)

Here we have p =5. So p ≥ 3, condition is satisfied. Okay. So therefore q ≤ 3p- 6 by that theorem,
okay per planar graph. So here 3p−¿6 is how much? 3 × 5 - 6. That means 15- 6, that is 9, so
q ≤9. But q =10. Okay. So there is a contradiction and therefore the graph is, K 5 is not a planar
graph. That is the end of my lecture, thank you very much for your attention.