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4.5: Introduction to Graph Theory

  • Page ID
    7163
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    We can interpret the sdr problem as a problem about graphs. Given sets \(A_1,A_2,\ldots,A_n\), with \(\bigcup_{i=1}^n A_i=\{x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_m\}\), we define a graph with \(n+m\) vertices as follows: The vertices are labeled \(\{A_1,A_2,\ldots,A_n,x_1,x_2,\ldots x_m\}\), and the edges are \(\{\{A_i,x_j\}\mid x_j\in A_i\}\).

    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    Let \(A_1=\{a,b,c,d\}\), \(A_2=\{a,c,e,g\}\), \(A_3=\{b,d\}\), and \(A_4=\{a,f,g\}\). The corresponding graph is shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\).

    clipboard_e72c9748c82d624f91d7e4425d40a0bb3.png
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): A set system depicted as a bipartite graph.

    Before exploring this idea, we introduce a few basic concepts about graphs. If two vertices in a graph are connected by an edge, we say the vertices are adjacent. If a vertex \(v\) is an endpoint of edge \(e\), we say they are incident. The set of vertices adjacent to \(v\) is called the neighborhood of \(v\), denoted \(N(v)\). This is sometimes called the open neighborhood of \(v\) to distinguish it from the closed neighborhood of \(v\), \(N[v]=N(v)\cup\{v\}\). The degree of a vertex \(v\) is the number of edges incident with \(v\); it is denoted \(\text{d}(v)\).

    Some simple types of graph come up often: A path is a graph \(P_n\) on vertices \(v_1,v_2,\ldots,v_n\), with edges \(\{v_i,v_{i+1}\}\) for \(1\le i\le n-1\), and no other edges. A cycle is a graph \(C_n\) on vertices \(v_1,v_2,\ldots,v_n\) with edges \(\{v_i,v_{1+(i\bmod n)}\}\) for \(1\le i\le n\), and no other edges; this is a path in which the first and last vertices have been joined by an edge. (Generally, we require that a cycle have at least three vertices. If it has two, then the two are joined by two distinct edges; when a graph has more than one edge with the same endpoints it is called a multigraph. If a cycle has one vertex, there is an edge, called a loop, in which a single vertex serves as both endpoints.) The length of a path or cycle is the number of edges in the graph. For example, \(P_1\) has length 0, \(C_1\) has length 1. A complete graph \(K_n\) is a graph on \(v_1,v_2,\ldots,v_n\) in which every two distinct vertices are joined by an edge. See Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\) for examples.

    clipboard_e2ff84e66c649f607d1be473b564c6862.png
    Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Graphs \(P_5\), \(C_6\), \(K_5\).

    The graph in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) is a bipartite graph.

    Definition \(\PageIndex{1}\): Bipartite

    A graph \(G\) is bipartite if its vertices can be partitioned into two parts, say \(\{v_1,v_2,\ldots,v_n\}\) and \(\{w_1,w_2,\ldots,w_m\}\) so that all edges join some \(v_i\) to some \(w_j\); no two vertices \(v_i\) and \(v_j\) are adjacent, nor are any vertices \(w_i\) and \(w_j\).

    The graph in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) is bipartite, as are the first two graphs in Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\).


    This page titled 4.5: Introduction to Graph Theory is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Guichard via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.