Various Operations on Graphs
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Understanding Subgraphs
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we will start by discussing subgraphs. Can anyone tell me what a subgraph is?
Is it a smaller graph made from some vertices and edges of a bigger graph?
Exactly! A subgraph is a graph formed from a subset of a graph's vertices and edges. For example, if we have a graph G with vertices V and edges E, then a subgraph H will have its vertices as a subset of V and edges as a subset of E. Remember, all vertices in H must belong to G!
What about proper subgraphs? Are they different?
Great question! A proper subgraph is indeed a type of subgraph, but with a key difference: it should not be equal to the original graph G. So it must have fewer vertices or edges.
Can you give us an example of a proper subgraph?
Sure! If G has vertices A, B, and C with edges AB and BC, a proper subgraph H could have vertices A, B and edge AB. However, H can't have all vertices and edges as G because it wouldn't be a proper subgraph.
Just to recap: A subgraph uses vertices and edges from G, and a proper subgraph specifically must not equal G. Any further questions?
Induced Subgraphs
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Next, let's talk about induced subgraphs. Can anyone explain what they are?
Are they the same as normal subgraphs?
Good question! Induced subgraphs are a specific type of subgraph. For a given subset of vertices W, the induced subgraph includes all edges that connect any two vertices in W.
So, if W has no edges, the induced subgraph will have no edges too?
Exactly! If W is a single vertex, the induced subgraph is simply that vertex with no edges. An important aspect to remember: edges are only included if both endpoints are in W.
What if we take a subset that is empty?
Good point! An induced subgraph with an empty set of vertices is effectively an empty graph. Always remember the edges depend on the vertices selected!
In summary, the induced subgraph is formed from a specified subset of vertices, including all edges connecting them. Any more questions?
Graph Operations
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now, let’s discuss operations on graphs, starting with edge deletion. Who can summarize what happens if we delete an edge?
The edge is removed, but the vertices stay the same, right?
Correct! Deleting an edge only modifies the edge set while keeping the vertex set intact. This is similar to how removing a cable from a computer network doesn't remove the computers themselves.
Got it! What about vertices?
Good question! When we delete a vertex, we also must remove any edges connected to that vertex, since those connections will no longer exist. Make sure to remember: deleting a vertex affects both the vertex and edge sets!
What if we add a new edge? Does that affect the vertex set too?
Yep! Adding a new edge might introduce new vertices into the graph as well! Always remember: operations can change both vertex and edge sets depending on what's being altered.
To recap: edge deletions keep vertex sets intact, while removing a vertex affects both sets. Adding edges can expand the vertex set. Any further clarifications?
Graph Isomorphism
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Let’s shift gears to graph isomorphism. Can anyone explain what it means for two graphs to be isomorphic?
Is it like saying they are the same graph but just labeled differently?
Exactly! When we say two graphs are isomorphic, we mean there is a one-to-one correspondence between their vertices such that their edges match up. The structure is the key part!
So, if two graphs look different but can be relabeled to become the same, are they isomorphic?
That’s correct! As long as you can find a bijective mapping that preserves the connections, the graphs are considered isomorphic. Remember, though, that it is essential to keep edge correspondences in mind!
What happens if they have a different number of vertices?
Excellent point! If they have a different number of vertices, they cannot be isomorphic. So, analyzing structural properties like that is crucial.
To summarize: Isomorphism checks for structural similarity through vertex correspondences, and differing vertex counts mean they cannot be isomorphic. Any questions?
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
In this section, various operations on graphs are discussed, such as defining subgraphs, proper subgraphs, and induced subgraphs. The operations for adding and removing edges and vertices are explored in detail, indicating how these changes affect graph structure.
Detailed
Detailed Summary
In this section on Various Operations on Graphs, we delve into foundational operations that can be performed on graphs, discussing several crucial types and how they change the underlying structure of a graph.
- Subgraphs: We define a subgraph as a graph formed from a subset of a graph's vertices and edges. For graph G with vertex set V and edge set E, H is a subgraph of G if all its vertices are contained in V and its edges in E.
- Proper Subgraph: A proper subgraph retains the properties of a subgraph but must not equal the original graph, ensuring that it possesses fewer vertices or edges.
- Induced Subgraph: For any subset of vertices W, the induced subgraph is formed by using W's vertices and including all edges whose endpoints are both in W.
- Graph Operations: The deletion of edges or vertices from a graph does not inherently disturb the vertex set but alters the edge set, thereby modifying the graph's connections.
- Graph Isomorphism: The significance of graph isomorphism – indicating structural similarity between graphs despite different appearances – is highlighted, with definitions and examples provided.
- Graph Connectivity: Finally, the section transitions into graph connectivity, describing paths, connected graphs, and distinguishing between cut vertices and cut edges.
Understanding these operations is essential for analyzing graph structures and functions in various applications.
Youtube Videos
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Definition of Subgraphs
Chapter 1 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
So, we will first define what we call as the subgraph of a graph, if you are given a graph G = (V, E) with the vertex set being V and edge set being E. Then, a graph H = (W, F) with vertex set W and edge set F will be called a subgraph of G, if the vertex set W of H is a subset of the vertex set V of G, namely all the vertices of H should be the vertices of G and the edge set F of H should be a subset of the edge set E of G.
Detailed Explanation
A subgraph is a smaller graph formed from a larger graph. In this case, you have graph G with vertices V and edges E. For another graph H to be a subgraph of G, it must use some of the same vertices from G (its vertex set W must be from V) and its edges must connect those vertices exactly as they are in G (the edge set F must be part of E). This means H can only contain edges that correspond to the vertices it has taken from G.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a subgraph like a subset of a group of friends. If you have a group of friends (graph G) with a certain number of connections (edges), a smaller group of just a few friends (graph H) can only include friends from the larger group and their connections can only be those that exist in the larger group.
Definition of Proper Subgraphs
Chapter 2 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
The right definition of the proper subgraph is the following: H is a proper subgraph of graph G if it is a subgraph of G and it is a subgraph which is different from the graph G or the parent graph.
Detailed Explanation
A proper subgraph is simply a subgraph that isn't exactly the same as the original graph G. This means it has fewer vertices or fewer edges than G. It must be a subgraph first, so it contains some but not all vertices or edges from G, ensuring that it can be distinguished from G. If H is just G with some edges or vertices removed, then it is a proper subgraph.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a pizza (graph G) and you take a slice off it (graph H). The slice is a representation of the entire pizza but is not the whole pizza. This slice still has the same ingredients (vertices) but is simply a smaller version of the whole pizza.
Induced Subgraphs
Chapter 3 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
So, if you are given a graph G = (V, E) with vertex set V and edge set E and if I take a subset of vertices W, then G’ is called the induced subgraph or the induced by the vertex set W such that the vertex set of G’ is W and the edge set E’ of G’ consists of only those edges whose both endpoints are within the subset W.
Detailed Explanation
An induced subgraph is formed by taking a specific set of vertices from the original graph and including all the edges that connect them. If you have a graph G and decide to focus on a subset of vertices W from G, the induced subgraph G' will consist of just those vertices and the edges that connect them in the original graph. No other edges that include vertices outside of W will be considered.
Examples & Analogies
If G is a city with roads (edges) connecting various landmarks (vertices), and you pick a few landmarks (subset W), your induced subgraph would be just those landmarks and only the roads that connect them without considering any roads leading to places outside this selected group.
Deleting Edges and Vertices
Chapter 4 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
If I delete an edge then the vertex set does not get disturbed, it remains the same; it is only the edge set which gets affected. On the other hand, if I delete a vertex from my graph G, then definitely the vertex that gets affected and also the edge set gets affected.
Detailed Explanation
When you delete an edge from a graph, you're simply removing the connection between two vertices that remains in the graph. However, when a vertex is deleted, you not only lose the vertex itself but also all the edges connected to that vertex, as they no longer have one of their endpoints. Thus, the overall structure of the graph changes more significantly when vertices are removed compared to deleting edges.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a network of friends where each friend represents a vertex and the connections (friendships) between them are the edges. If one friend (vertex) decides to end a friendship (delete an edge), the rest of the friendships stay intact. But if that friend leaves the group altogether (delete the vertex), they take away all their friendships with them, changing the dynamic of the entire group.
Graph Representations
Chapter 5 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Now let us discuss the various data structures that we can use to represent graphs. We have what we call as the adjacency matrix representation, a boolean matrix.
Detailed Explanation
Graphs can be represented in several ways, the most common being adjacency matrices and adjacency lists. An adjacency matrix is a 2D array where each cell indicates whether two vertices are connected by an edge. If the graph is dense (many connections), this representation is useful. However, in sparse graphs (fewer edges), an adjacency list may be more effective. An adjacency list stores all neighbors for each vertex, saving space as it only includes existing edges.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine the adjacency matrix as a detailed table with every possible friendship detailed, checking if every person knows every other person (1 for yes, 0 for no). On the other hand, the adjacency list is more like a phone book, where each person only lists their actual friends, contacting only those with whom they share a connection, thereby being more efficient in its representation.
Graph Isomorphism
Chapter 6 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
If you see these two graphs, pictorially they are drawn in a different way. However, structurally they are similar graphs. What do I mean by structurally they are similar graphs?
Detailed Explanation
Graph isomorphism indicates a structural similarity between two graphs. Even if two graphs look different (different layouts or labels), they are considered the same if there exists a way to map their vertices such that the edges remain unchanged. This mapping shows that the two graphs encode the same information despite appearances, making them isomorphic.
Examples & Analogies
Think of different languages using the same universal expressions. For instance, two people might speak different languages but can convey the same message through equivalent phrases. Similarly, graph isomorphism reflects that different drawings may represent the same underlying connections.
Graph Connectivity
Chapter 7 of 7
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
An undirected graph is called connected if there exists a path between every pair of distinct vertices. What is the connected component of a graph? A connected component of a graph is the maximal connected subgraph of the graph.
Detailed Explanation
A graph is connected if you can find a path between any two vertices. If this is true for all vertices, there’s only one connected component, which is the whole graph. However, if there are some vertices that cannot reach others by any path, we call each separate piece a connected component. Each component is maximally connected, meaning it cannot be extended further with other vertices and edges without losing its property of being a separate component.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a graph like a network of islands. If each island can reach every other island by bridges (connections), the whole network is connected. However, if you have some isolated islands that cannot reach any other islands, each isolated island or cluster of islands becomes a connected component.
Key Concepts
-
Subgraph: A subset of a graph that retains some or all vertices and edges.
-
Proper Subgraph: A subgraph that has fewer vertices and edges than the original graph.
-
Induced Subgraph: A subgraph formed by a specific subset of vertices with all edges between them.
-
Graph Isomorphism: A condition where two graphs can be transformed into one another via vertex relabeling.
-
Connectivity: The aspect of a graph that defines whether all vertices are reachable from one another.
Examples & Applications
If G has vertices A, B, and C with edges AB and AC, a subgraph could include just A and B with edge AB.
Consider two graphs that have the same connectivity pattern but different labels emerging from a vertex correspondence; these are isomorphic.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
To understand a subgraph well, remember it's just a smaller shell.
Stories
Imagine a small town (graph G) where some roads (edges) connect houses (vertices). If some houses and their roads are selected, that’s a subgraph of your town!
Memory Tools
SIP for subgraph: S - Subset of vertices, I - Includes edges, P - Proper (not equal to G).
Acronyms
Graph Operations
for Delete
for Add - Think about how edges and vertices change.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Subgraph
A graph formed from a subset of a graph's vertices and edges.
- Proper Subgraph
A subgraph that is not equal to the original graph; it must have fewer vertices or edges.
- Induced Subgraph
The subgraph formed by a given subset of vertices, including all edges that connect any two of those vertices.
- Edge Deletion
The operation of removing an edge from a graph without affecting the vertex set.
- Vertex Deletion
The operation of removing a vertex and its incident edges from a graph.
- Graph Isomorphism
A relationship between two graphs that can be expressed as being structurally identical through vertex relabeling.
- Graph Connectivity
A measure of whether a graph is fully connected, indicating the presence of a path between any pair of distinct vertices.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.