Graph Theory and Applications 2024-25-W
Homework - I
Name: S. Sathwik Roll No: 12141430
(1)
(a)
Statement: If G is Eulerian, then L(G) is Eulerian.
Answer: TRUE
• A graph G is Eulerian if it is connected and all its vertices have even
degrees.
• The line graph L(G) of G is a graph where:
– Each vertex of L(G) corresponds to an edge of G.
– Two vertices in L(G) are adjacent if and only if their corresponding
edges in G share a common vertex.
• Suppose G is Eulerian:
– Then every vertex in G has even degree.
– Hence, each edge in G (which becomes a vertex in L(G)) is incident
to vertices in G that have even degree.
– This implies that each vertex in L(G) has even degree (since edges
in G are incident to many other edges via shared vertices).
• Additionally, if G is connected, then L(G) is also connected (except for
trivial cases like cycles of length 3).
• Therefore, L(G) is connected and every vertex in L(G) has even degree.
• Hence, L(G) is Eulerian.
(b)
Statement: If L(G) is Eulerian, then G is Eulerian.
Answer: FALSE
• Recall that a graph is Eulerian if it is connected and every vertex has an
even degree.
• The line graph L(G) is constructed such that:
1
– Each vertex in L(G) corresponds to an edge in G.
– Two vertices in L(G) are adjacent if the corresponding edges in G
share a common vertex.
• Even if L(G) is Eulerian (i.e., every vertex in L(G) has even degree and
L(G) is connected), this does not imply that all vertices in G have even
degree.
• Counterexample:
– Consider a star graph G with center vertex of degree n ≥ 3 and all
other vertices of degree 1.
– Then, L(G) is a complete graph Kn , which is Eulerian when n is
odd.
– However, the original star graph G is not Eulerian because the center
vertex has odd degree and the leaves have degree 1.
• Thus, L(G) can be Eulerian even though G is not Eulerian.
(2)
(a)
Claim: If G is Eulerian, then G contains no cut-edges.
• Let G be an Eulerian graph.
• By definition, a graph is Eulerian if it contains a closed trail (Eulerian
circuit) that:
– starts and ends at the same vertex,
– and uses every edge exactly once.
• Suppose, for contradiction, that G contains a cut-edge e.
• A cut-edge (or bridge) is an edge whose removal increases the number of
connected components of the graph.
• Removing e splits G into two disconnected components, say G1 and G2 .
• In an Eulerian circuit, every time we enter a vertex via an edge, we must
leave via another edge. Hence, every vertex must have even degree.
• The edge e must be used exactly once in the Eulerian circuit. So, if the
circuit moves from G1 to G2 using e, it cannot return to G1 , since e is the
only edge connecting the components.
2
• This contradicts the requirement that the circuit is closed.
• Hence, our assumption is false. Therefore, an Eulerian graph cannot have
a cut-edge.
(b)
• G does not have any cycles of length 3 or 4.
• Assume that there is a Hamiltonian cycle C in G.
• A Hamiltonian cycle on 10 vertices contains 10 edges.
• But G has 15 edges. So there are 5 more edges in addition to the Hamil-
tonian cycle.
• However, adding any of these 5 extra edges to the cycle will necessarily
create a cycle of length 3 or 4.
• This contradicts the assumption that G has no cycles of length 3 or 4.
• Hence, G cannot contain a Hamiltonian cycle.
(3)
3
(4)
(a)
– A graph G with 10 vertices can have at most:
10
= 45 edges
2
– It is given that the chromatic number χ(G) = 4.
– Therefore, the graph can be colored using 4 colors, with each color
class being an independent set (i.e., no edges between vertices of the
same color).
– To maximize the number of edges, we need to distribute the 10 ver-
tices into 4 color classes such that the number of edges between color
classes is maximized.
4
– The optimal distribution is: 2, 2, 3, 3. That is:
Color class sizes: (2, 2, 3, 3)
– Every vertex of one color class is connected to every vertex in other
color classes. So, the total number of edges is:
E = (2·2)+(2·3)+(2·3)+(2·3)+(2·3)+(3·3) = 4+6+6+6+6+9 = 37
– Thus, the maximum number of edges in a graph with 10 vertices and
chromatic number 4 is 37
picture
– Let the vertices be assigned to color classes as follows:
∗ Color Class 1: a, b
∗ Color Class 2: c, d
∗ Color Class 3: e, f, g
∗ Color Class 4: h, i, j
5
(b)
• In the graph shown, vertices a, b, c, d, e form a K5 (i.e., a complete graph
of 5 vertices, where every vertex is connected to every other vertex).
• Now, introduce five new vertices: a′ , b′ , c′ , d′ , e′ .
• Connect each original vertex to all new vertices except its ”primed” coun-
terpart:
– Connect a to b′ , c′ , d′ , e′
– Connect b to a′ , c′ , d′ , e′
– Connect c to a′ , b′ , d′ , e′
– Connect d to a′ , b′ , c′ , e′
– Connect e to a′ , b′ , c′ , d′
• Finally, add a new vertex f and connect it to all five primed vertices:
a′ , b′ , c′ , d′ , e′ .
• In this graph:
– The largest clique is of size 5: ω(G) = 5 (formed by a, b, c, d, e).
– The chromatic number is 6: χ(G) = 6 (since f forces an additional
color beyond what is needed for the K5 ).
(5)
6
(a)
– Suppose both G and its complement G are planar.
– We know that for a connected planar graph on at least 3 vertices:
|E(G)| ≤ 3n − 6
– Also, since G is planar, we have:
|E(G)| ≤ 3n − 6
– But the total number of edges in a complete graph is:
n n(n − 1)
=
2 2
– So:
n(n − 1)
|E(G)| + |E(G)| =
2
– Combining the two inequalities:
|E(G)| + |E(G)| ≤ (3n − 6) + (3n − 6) = 6n − 12
– Hence:
n(n − 1)
≤ 6n − 12
2
– Multiply both sides by 2:
n(n − 1) ≤ 12n − 24
– Bring all terms to one side:
n2 − 13n + 24 ≤ 0
– Solving the quadratic inequality:
√ √
13 − 73 13 + 73
≤n≤
2 2
– Approximate roots:
2.22 ≤ n ≤ 10.77 ⇒ n < 11
– But for n ≥ 11, this gives a contradiction. Therefore, at least one of
G or G must be non-planar.
7
(b)
– Let n be the number of vertices and m the number of edges in G
with n < 12.
– Suppose δ(G) ≥ 5.
– Then, by the handshaking lemma:
2m ≥ 5n
– Also, for a planar graph:
m ≤ 3n − 6 ⇒ 2m ≤ 6n − 12
– Combining:
5n ≤ 2m ≤ 6n − 12
– Solving:
5n ≤ 6n − 12 ⇒ n ≥ 12
– This contradicts the assumption n < 12. Therefore, our assumption
is false, and we conclude:
δ(G) ≤ 4
(c)
– Base Case: For n ≤ 4, all vertices can be assigned different colors.
So the claim holds.
– Inductive Hypothesis: Assume that all connected triangle-free
planar graphs with n vertices, where 5 ≤ n ≤ k, are 4-colorable.
– Inductive Step: Consider a connected triangle-free planar graph
with k + 1 vertices.
– Since the graph is triangle-free and planar, it contains a vertex u of
degree at most 3.
– Remove vertex u and its incident edges. The resulting graph is either
connected or disconnected, and has at most k vertices.
– By the inductive hypothesis, each component (or the single connected
graph) is 4-colorable.
– Add u back to the graph. Since u has at most 3 neighbors, there
exists a fourth color not used by its neighbors. Assign this color to
u.
– Therefore, the entire graph with k + 1 vertices is also 4-colorable.
– Conclusion: By induction, any triangle-free planar graph is 4-colorable.
(6)
8
(a)
– Kuratowski’s Theorem states: A graph G is non-planar if and only if
it contains a subgraph that is a subdivision of K5 or K3,3 .
– We can obtain the Petersen graph from a subdivision of K3,3 as follows:
– As shown in the figure, starting from K3,3 , subdivision of the edges
ei , bh , bi , eh results in a subgraph of the Petersen graph (i.e., the Pe-
tersen graph without edges j → g and d → c).
– Since we have obtained a subgraph of the Petersen graph from K3,3 ,
by Kuratowski’s Theorem, the Petersen graph is non-planar.
(b)
– Euler’s formula states: If G is a connected planar graph with n vertices,
m edges, and f faces, then:
n−m+f =2
– For the Petersen graph:
n = 10, m = 15
– Using Euler’s formula:
f = m − n + 2 = 15 − 10 + 2 = 7
9
– The Petersen graph contains cycles of length at least 5. Hence, each
face is bounded by at least 5 edges.
– Therefore, the total sum of face degrees satisfies:
2·m≥5·f
– Substituting the known values:
2 · 15 = 30 < 5 · 7 = 35
– This contradiction implies our assumption of planarity is false.
– Hence, the Petersen graph is non-planar.
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