CHAPTER-1
PRELIMINERIES
This chapter deals with some basic definitions which are needed for the subsequent
chapters.
Definition 1.1
A graph G is an ordered pair (V, E) comprising a set V of vertices or nodes together with
a set E of edges or lines, which are 2 – element subsets of V.
Given two vertices u and v of a graph G, the edge e = {u,v} joins u and v. Common
notation for the edge e = {u, v} is uv.
If e = uv is an edge of G, then u and v are called adjacent vertices, u and e are incident
and v and e are incident.
If e1 and e2 are distinct edges of G with a common vertex v, then e1and e2 are called
adjacent edges incident with v.
Example 1.2
G:
Figure 1.1
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In the graph G given in Figure 1.1, the vertices v1 and v2 are adjacent, since there is an
edge joining v1 and v2.
The edges v3v4 and v4v5 are adjacent, since v4 is a common vertex for both the two edges.
Definition1.3
A set of vertices in a graph G is independent if no two vertices in the set are adjacent. If
two or more edges join the same pair of (distinct) vertices, then these edges are called parallel
edges .If an edge e joins a vertex v to itself, then e is called a loop. A graph G without loops and
parallel edges is called a simple graph.
Example 1.4
G:
Figure 1.2
In the graph G given in Figure 1.2, the edges e4 and e5are parallel edges. Also the edge e2
is a loop.
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Example 1.5
G:
Figure 1.3
The graph G given in Figure 1.3 having no loops or multiple edges is simple graph.
Definition1.6
A graph G with a finite number of vertices as well as a finite number of edges is called a
finite graph. Otherwise it is an infinite graph.
Definition1.7
The order of a graph is │V│, the number of vertices and the size of a graph is │E│, the
number of edges.
Example 1.8
G:
Figure 1.4
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In the graph G given in Figure 1.4, the number of vertices = 5
Therefore order of the graph = │V│ = 5
The number of edges = 9
Therefore size of the graph = │E│= 9
Definition1.9
The degree of a vertex is the number of edges incident on it, and it is denoted by deg (v).
(An edge that connects to the vertex at both ends (a loop) is counted twice).
Example 1.10
G:
Figure 1.5
In the graph G given in the Figure 1.5, deg (ݒଵ ) = 4, deg(ݒଶ ) = 2, deg(ݒଷ ) = 3, deg(ݒସ ) = 4,
deg (ݒହ ) = 3, deg( = ) ݒ3, deg( = ) ݒ1.
Definition1.11
For any graph G, Ɂ(G) = min {deg (v)ോv אV(G)} and
ȟ(G) = max {deg (v)ോvאV(G)}.
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Definition1.12
A regular graph is a graph where each vertex has the same degree. A regular graph with
vertices of degree k is called a k- regular graph or regular graph of degree k.
Example 1.13
G:
Figure 1.6
The graph G given in the Figure 1.6 is 3 – regular graph.
Definition 1.14
A graph G is said to be complete if there is an edge joining every pair of vertices of G
(that is any two vertices are adjacent). The complete graph with n vertices is denoted by Kn.
Example 1.15
۹:
Figure 1.7
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Definition 1.16
The graph with only one vertex and no edge is called the trivial graph. Graphwith only
vertices and no edge is known as an edgeless graph. The graph with no vertices and no edges is
sometimes called the null graph or empty graph.
Example 1.17
G: Trivial graph G:Edgeless graph
. ࢜ ࢜ ..࢜
.࢜
Figure1.8 Figure 1. 9
Definition 1.18
A walk is an alternating sequence of vertices and edges, beginning and ending with
vertices, such that each edge is incident with the vertices preceding and following it.
Definition 1.19
A walk is called a trial if all the edges appearing in the walk are distinct. A walk is
called a path if all the vertices are distinct.
Example 1.20
G:
Figure 1.10
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The graph G given in the Figure 1.10
(1) ݒଵ ݁ଵ ݒଶ ݁ଶ ݒଷ ݁ଽ ݒହ ݁ହ ݒଶ ݁ଵ ݒଵ is a walk
(2) ݒଵ ݁ଵ ݒଶ ݁ହ ݒହ ݁ଽ ݒଷ ݁ଷ ݒସ ݁ସ ݒହ is a trial
(3) ݒଵ ݁ଵ ݒଶ ݁ହ ݒହ ݁ଽ ݒଷ ݁ଷ ݒସ is a path.
Definition 1.21
A cycle is a closed path of nonzero length that does not contain a repeated edge. The
length of a cycle is the number of edges in the cycle. A cycle on n vertices is denoted by Cn.
Example 1.22
C7:
Figure 1.11
Definition 1.23
A bipartite graph G is a graph whose point set V can be partitioned into two subsets V1
and V2such that every line of G joins an element of V1with an element of V2.If G contains every
line joining each element of V1with all elements of V2, then G is a complete bipartite graph. The
complete bipartite graph with bipartition (V1, V2) such that │V1 │= m and │V2│= n is denoted
by Km,n.
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Example 1.24
G:
Figure 1.12
The graph G given in the Figure 1.12 is a bipartite graph.
K2, 3:
Figure 1.13
Definition1.25
A star graph denoted by Sn is the complete bipartite graph K1, n.
Example 1.26
K1, 6:
Figure 1.14
The graph G given in the Figure 1.14 is a star graph denoted by S6.
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Definition 1.27
A tree is an undirected graph in which any two vertices are connected by exactly one
simple path. In other words a tree is a connected graph with no cycle (acyclic).
Example 1.28
G:
Figure 1.15
The graph G given in the Figure 1.15 is a tree.
Definition 1.29
A forest is a collection of trees.
Definition 1.30
The square of a graph G (or the second power of a graph) denoted by G2is a graph
having the same set of vertices as G and two vertices in G2are adjacent if and only if there is a
path of length atmost two between them in graph G.
Example 1.31
ࡼ :
Figure 1.16
The graph given in the Figure 1.16 is the square of the path P5.
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Definition 1.32
Let G and H be two graphs with vertex sets V(G), V(H) and edge sets E(G), E(H)
respectively.
If V(H) كV(G) and E(H) كE(G) then H is a sub graph of G.
If V(H) ؿV(G) and E(H) كE(G) then H is a proper sub graph of G.
If V(H) = V(G) and E(H) كE(G) then H is a spanning sub graph of G.
Let G be a graph with vertex set V and edge set E. If U is a subset of V, then the sub
graph G(U) of G whose vertex set is U and whose edge set comprises exactly the edges
of E which join vertices in U is termed as an induced sub graph of G.
Example 1.33
Figure 1.17
In the Figure 1.17, G1is an induced sub graphof G; G2 is a spanning sub graph of G.
Definition 1.34
The union of two graphsG1 = (V1, E1) and G2 = (V2, E2) is the graph G denoted by
G1G2whose vertex set V = V1V2 and the edge set E = E1E2.
The intersection G1תG2 of graphs G1and G2 is a graph G consisting only of those vertices
and edges that are in both G1 and G2.
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Example1.35
Figure1.18
Definition 1.36
Let G1= (V1, E1) and G2 = (V2, E2) be two simple graphs. Their join denoted by
G1 + G2consists of G1G2 and all lines joining each element of ଵ with each element of ଶ .
Example 1.37
Figure 1.19
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Definition 1.38
A set S of vertices in a graph G is said to be a dominating set if every vertex u אV is
either an element of S or is adjacent to an element of S.
Definition 1.39
The domination number of a graph G, denoted byȯ(G), is the minimum cardinality of the
dominating sets in G.
Example 1.40
Figure 1.20
In the graph given in the Figure 1.20, ܵଵ = { ݒଵ ǡ ݒଷ }, ܵଶ = { ݒଵ ǡ ݒହ }, ܵଷ = { ݒଶ ǡ ݒଷ },
ܵସ = {ݒଶ ǡ ݒସ },ܵହ = {ݒଶ ǡ ݒହ },ܵ = {ݒଷ ǡ } ݒ,ܵ = {ݒସ ǡ } ݒ,଼ܵ = {ݒହ ǡ } ݒare the minimal dominating
sets of size 2, that isȯ(G) = 2.
Definition 1.41
An edge dominating set for a graph G = (V,E) is a subset DكE such that every edge not
in D is adjacent to atleast one edge in D. An edge dominating set is also known as a line
dominating set.
Definition 1.42
The edge domination number of a graph G, denoted byȯୣ (G) is the minimum cardinality
of the edge dominating sets in G.
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Example 1.43
Figure 1.21
In the graph given in Figure 1.21,S1= {e1,e4},S2 = {e2,e5},S3 = {e3,e7},S4 = {e4,e7},
S5 = {e6,e8},S6 = {e7,e8}are the minimal edge dominating sets of size 2,that isȯୣ (G) = 2.
Definition 1.44
A dominating set S is a total dominating set if every vertex in S is adjacent to another
vertex of S.
Definition 1.45
The total domination number of a graph G, denoted by ȯ୲ (G) is the minimum cardinality
of the total dominating sets in G.
Example 1.46
Figure 1.22
In the graph given in Figure 1.22, ܵଵ ={ݒଶ ǡ ݒହ }andܵଶ ={ݒସ ǡ ݒହ }are the minimal total
dominating sets of size 2, that is ȯ୲ (G) = 2.
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Definition 1.47
Let G be a simple connected graph. A set SكV is a k- dominating set or k- distance
dominating set if each element in V-S is atmost at a distance k from an element of S.
Definition 1.48
The k-domination number of a graph G, is the minimum cardinality of a k- dominating
set in G and it is denoted by ȯ୩ (G).
Example 1.49
G: (a) H: (b)
Figure 1.23
In the graph G given in figure1.23 (a), S = {ݒ } is a 2-distance dominating set of size 1
and in the graph H given in figure1.23 (b), S = {ݒଶ ǡ } ݒis a 2-distance dominating set of size 2.
Therefore ȯଶ (G) = 1 and ȯଶ (H) = 2.
Definition 1.50
A wheel Wn is a graph with n+1vertices, obtained from a cycle Cn by adding a new vertex
and edges joining it to all vertices of the cycle.
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Example 1.51
W5:
Figure 1.24
Notation 1.52
The smallest integer greater than or equal to n is denoted by ڿn ۀand the largest integer
less than or equal to n is denoted by ہnۂ. Also we denote the set {1, 2, 3, . . . ,n} by [n].
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