Introduction to Graph Theory

Sindiya Therese S
Friendship Network
Scientific collaboration network
Business ties in US biotech-industry
Genetic interaction network
Protein-Protein Interaction
Networks
Transportation Networks
Internet
Ecological Networks
 Graph Theory - History
Leonhard Euler's paper on “Seven Bridges of

Königsberg”, in 1736.

Königsber is a city on the Pregel river in Prussia,

the city occupied by two islands plus areas on both

banks
The KÖnigsberg Bridge Problem
Problem:
– Whether they could leave home, cross
every bridge exactly once, and return home.
The KÖnigsberg Bridge Problem
 A Model
A vertex : a region

An edge : a line(bridge) between two regions

X
X e1 e6
e2
W Y
W Y
e5
e4
Z
e3 e7
Z
Graphs consist of
 points called vertices
 lines called edges

1. Edges connect two vertices.

2. Edges only intersect at vertices.
 Example

• V:={1,2,3,4,5,6}
• E:={{1,2},{1,5},{2,3},{2,5},{3,4},{4,5},{4,6}}
 Simple Graphs

Simple graphs are graphs without multiple

edges or self-loops.
Example 2:
This is also a graph. The vertices just
happen to have people’s names.
Such a graph could represent friendships
(or any kind of relationship).

Flexo Bender Leela

Zoidberg

Fry Amy Farnsworth

Now check out the graph below.
What can we say about it in comparison to
the previous figure?

Leela Fry

Flexo

Amy
Bender
Farnsworth Zoidberg
 Moral of the Story
• One graph may be drawn in
(infinitely) many ways, but
it always provides us with
the same information.
• Graphs are a structure for
describing relationships
between objects.
(The vertices denote the objects
and the edges represent the
relationship.)
 - a ll th e ma th -y ja rg on one could ask
(ie
for)

 Adjacent Vertices are

two vertices that are
joined by an edge.
 Adjacent Edges are
two edges that
intersect at a vertex.
 The degree of a
x i s t h e n um b er of
verte
 General Model
• A vertex : an object
• An edge : a relation between two objects

Committee 1 Committee 2

common

member

Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 22

 What Is a Graph?
• A graph G is a triple consisting of:
– A vertex set V(G )
– An edge set E(G )
– A relation between an edge and a pair of
vertices
X
e1 e6
e2
W
e5 Y
e4
e3 e7

Graph Theory
Z
Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 23
 Loop, Multiple edges
• Loop : An edge whose endpoints are equal
• Multiple edges : Edges have the same pair of
endpoints

Multiple
edges
loop

Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 24

 Simple Graph
 Simple graph : A graph has no loops or multiple edges

Multiple
edges loop

It is not simple. It is a simple graph.

Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 25

 Adjacent, neighbors
• Two vertices are adjacent and are
neighbors if they are the endpoints of an
edge
• Example:
– A and B are adjacent
– A and D are notAadjacent B

C D
Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 26
 Finite Graph, Null Graph

• Finite graph : an graph whose vertex set

and edge set are finite
• Null graph : the graph whose vertex set and
edges are empty

Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 27

 Definitions – Graph Type

Multigraph: G(V,E), consists of set of vertices V, set of Edges E and

a function f from E to {{u, v}| u, v V, u ≠ v}. The edges e1 and e2
are called multiple or parallel edges if f (e1) = f (e2).
Representation Example: V = {u, v, w}, E = {e1, e2, e3}

u
e1 e2
w

e3
v
 Definitions – Graph Type

Pseudograph: G(V,E), consists of set of vertices V, set of Edges E and a

function F from E to {{u, v}| u, v Î V}. Loops allowed in such a graph.
Representation Example: V = {u, v, w}, E = {e1, e2, e3, e4}

u
e1 w e4
e2

v e3
 Bipartite Graphs
• A graph G is bipartite if V(G) is the union of two
disjoint independent sets called partite sets of G
• Also: The vertices can be partitioned into two
sets such that each set is independent
• Matching Problem
• Job Assignment Problem

Workers
Boys

Girls Jobs

Graph Theory Ch. 1. Fundamental Concept 30

 Simple graphs – special cases

• Complete graph: Kn, is the simple graph that contains exactly one
edge between each pair of distinct vertices.

Representation Example: K1, K2, K3, K4

K1 K2 K3
K4
Example 3:

1) Find the degree A

of each vertex. D

2) Is A adjacent to
B? C
Is D adjacent to
A?
Is E adjacent to
itself?
Is C adjacent to E
itself?
B
3) Is AB adjacent to
BC?
Is CE adjacent to
BD?
 Regular
Connected Graph

All nodes have the same

degree
Special Regular Graphs: Cycles

C3 C4 C5
 Bipartite graph

• V can be partitioned
into 2 sets V1 and V2
such that (u,v)E
implies
– either u V1 and v V2
– OR v V1 and uV2.
 Complete Graph
• Every pair of vertices are adjacent
• Has n(n-1)/2 edges
 Complete Bipartite Graph
• Bipartite Variation of Complete Graph
• Every node of one set is connected to every
other node on the other set

Stars
Example 3: (Exercise 60, pg 214) The
map to the right of downtown Kingsburg,
shows the Kings River running through
the downtown area and the three islands
(A, B, and C) connected to each other
and both banks by seven bridges. The
Chamber of Commerce wants to design a
walking tour that crosses all the bridges.
Draw a graph that models the layout of
Kingsburg.

It was shown yesterday that it was

possible to take a walk in such that you
cross each bridge exactly once. Show N
how.

A B C

S
 Exercise 1

Which of the following statements hold for this graph?

(a) nodes v and w are adjacent;

(b) nodes v and x are adjacent;
(c) node u is incident with edge 2;
(d) Edge 5 is incident with node x.