Topic

13
1. 2.

Planar Graph

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to: Use the concept of planar graphs in problem solving; and Solve graph colouring problems.

X INTRODUCTION
One of the issues that have generated interest among researches since the midnineteenth century is map colouring problem. Map colouring is the problem of choosing the right colour for each region in the map so that no two distinct regions sharing a common border are of the same colour. The graph corresponding to a map is called planar graph. In this topic, we are going to discuss issues related to planar graph. A few examples of problems that require the use of planar graph will be discussed. At the end of this topic, we will show how to solve the map colouring problem.

13.1

PLANAR GRAPH
SELF-CHECK 13.1

Why are maps associated with planar graph? Can we have other maps that can be associated with planar graph?

Definition 13.1a: A graph is planar if it can be drawn in the plane without its edges crossing.

158X TOPIC 13 PLANAR GRAPH

Apart from map colouring problem, some other examples that employs the concept of planar graph are: 1. To decide whether it is possible to directly connect cities with other cities by expressways to each of three other cities, so that the expressways do not cross each other. To design printed circuits in order to have as few lines crossing as possible. Definition 13.1b: If a connected, planar graph is drawn in the plane, the plane is divided into contiguous regions called faces.

2.

A face is characterised by the cycle that forms its boundary. For example, in the graph in figure 13.1.

Figure 13.1: Characterised by cycle

face a is bounded by the cycle (5, 2, 3, 4, 5) and face c is bounded by the cycle (1, 2, 5, 1). The outer face d is considered to be bounded by the cycle (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 1). Theorem 13.1a (Euler s Formula): Let G be a connected planar simple graph with e edges and v vertices. Let f be the number of faces in G. Then f=ev+2 In 1752, Euler proved that the above equation holds for any connected, planar graph.

Example 13.1a In the above graph f = 4 faces, e= 8 edges, and v = 6 vertices. Notice that f, e, and v satisfy the equation f = e v + 2. Hence the graph is planar. Eulers formula can be used to establish some inequalities that must be satisfied by planar graphs.

TOPIC 13 PLANAR GRAPH W 159

Theorem 13.1b: If G is a connected planar graph with e edges and v vertices where v t 3, then e d 3v 6.

Theorem 13.1c: If a connected planar graph has e edges and v vertices with v t 3 and no cycle of length 3, then e d 2v 4. Example 13.1b We can use Theorem 13.1c to show that K3,3 is not planar since K3,3 has no cycle of length 3.

Figure 13.2: Example 13.1b

K3,3 has 6 vertices and 9 edges. Since 9 > 2 < 6 4 = 8, then K3,3 is not planar. Example 13.1c By using the same argument as in Example 13.1b, we can show that K5 is not planar.

ACTIVITY 13.1
1. Show that each of the graphs below is planar by redrawing it so that no edges cross.

160X TOPIC 13 PLANAR GRAPH

2.

A connected, planar graph has nine vertices having degrees 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4 and 5. How many edges are there? How many faces are there?

13.2

GRAPH COLOURING

SELF-CHECK 13.2
Are the edges that are connected in two vertices have common borders? What happens to the graph when the borders are uncommon? The problem of map colouring can be solved by modelling the map as a graph. Each region of the map is represented by a vertex. Edges connect two vertices if the regions represented by these vertices have a common border. Example 13.2a The ma p below:
B A E C D
Figure 13.3: Map colouring problem

can be modelled as the graph

TOPIC 13 PLANAR GRAPH W 161

Figure 13.4: Model of the map colouring problem in figure 13.3

Definition 13.2a A colouring of a simple graph is the assignment of a colour to each vertex of the graph so that no two adjacent vertex are assigned the same colour.

The smallest number of colours needed to produce a proper colouring of a graph G is called the chromatic number of G, denoted by F (G). Example 13.2b The chromatic number of the graph in example 13.2a is four.

Figure 13.5: Solution for map colouring problem in figure 13.3

The problem of finding the value of F (G) has been studied for more than 100 years. The answer is provided by the following theorem: Theorem 13.2a (Four Colour Theorem): The chromatic number of a planar graph is no greater than 4, i.e F(G) d 4.

162X TOPIC 13 PLANAR GRAPH

Some examples where graph colouring can be applied are as follows: 1. A number of different foods are stored in refrigerated compartments within the same refrigerator. Some of them can be kept together, but other food must keep apart. This problem can be modelled by using a graph where each vertex represents a type of food. Edges are constructed between two vertices if they must be kept in separate compartment. Then (G) is the smallest number of separate compartments needed to store the foods properly. Scheduling of the final exam at a university so that no student has two exams at the same time. Assigning of television channels so that no two stations located within 200 kilometres of each other are assigned the same channel.

2. 3.

This site explains about planar graph. You may click on the links given for detail explanation of this topic. URL: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PlanarGraph.html