Lecture 1
Lecture 1
Example:
Special Types of Simple Graphs: Complete
Graphs
A complete graph on n vertices, denoted by Kn,
is the simple graph that contains exactly one
edge between each pair of distinct vertices.
Special Types of Simple Graphs: Cycles
and Wheels
A cycle Cn for n ≥ 3 consists of n vertices v1, v2
,⋯ , vn, and edges {v1, v2}, {v2, v3} ,⋯ , {vn-1, vn},
{vn, v1}.
Example:
Trees
Definition: A tree is a connected undirected graph with no simple circuits.
Solution: G1 and G2 are trees - both are connected and have no simple
circuits. Because e, b, a, d, e is a simple circuit, G3 is not a tree. G4 is not a
tree because it is not connected.
Now assume that there is a unique simple path between any two
vertices of a graph T. Then T is connected because there is a path
between any two of its vertices. Furthermore, T can have no simple
circuits since if there were a simple circuit, there would be two paths
between some two vertices.
Hence, a graph with a unique simple path between any two vertices
is a tree.
Properties of Trees
Theorem 2: A tree with n vertices has n − 1 edges.