PLANAR

GRAPHS
Nery S. Garinganao
Ph.D. in Science Education - Mathematics
Consider a problem of joining three houses to each of the
three fast food restaurants. Is it possible to join these houses
and restaurants so that none of the connections cross?
A graph is called planar if it can be drawn
in the plane without any edges crossing
(where a crossing of edges is the
intersection of the lines or arcs
representing them at a point other than
their common endpoint).
EXAMPLES OF PLANAR GRAPH
EXAMPLES OF PLANAR GRAPH

The graph of 𝐾4 𝐾4 Drawn with No Crossings

EXAMPLES OF PLANAR GRAPH

The graph of 𝑄3 𝑄3 Drawn with No Crossings

 EXAMPLES OF PLANAR GRAPH
If a connected, planar graph is drawn in a plane, the plane
is divided into contiguous regions called faces.
A face is characterized by the cycle that forms its boundary.

A connected, planar graph with

f = 4 faces, e = 8 edges, and v = 6 vertices.

Face A is bounded by the cycle (5, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Face B is bounded by the cycle (1, 5, 4, 6, 1).
Face C is bounded by the cycle (1, 2, 5, 1).
Face D is bounded by the cycle (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 1).
The f, e, v satisfy the equation:
𝑓 =𝑒 −𝑣+2
 Euler’s
Formula
In 1752, Euler proved that
𝑓 =𝑒 −𝑣+2
holds for any connected, planar
graph.
Consider a problem of joining three houses to each of the
three fast food restaurants. Is it possible to join these houses
and restaurants so that none of the connections cross?

𝐾3,3
𝐼𝑠 𝐾3,3 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑟?
Is 𝐾3,3 planar?

𝑣6
𝑣6
𝑣6

The graph of 𝐾3,3

The figure shows that
𝑲𝟑,𝟑 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒓.
COROLLARY 1
If G is a connected planar simple graph with e edges
and v vertices, where 𝑣 ≥ 3 , then 𝑒 ≤ 3𝑣 − 6.

COROLLARY 2
If G is a connected planar simple graph, then G has a
vertex of degree not exceeding five.
Is 𝐾5 planar?

The graph of 𝐾5 has 5 vertices

and 10 edges.

Using Corollary 1, the

inequality 𝑒 ≤ 3𝑣 − 9 is not
satisfied for this graph because
e = 10 and 3v – 6 = 9.

Therefore, 𝐾5 is not planar.

𝑲𝟑,𝟑 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒓.

Note:
This graph has six vertices and nine edges.

This means that the inequality 𝑒 = 9 ≤ 12 = 3(6) − 6 is satisfied.

Consequently, the fact that the inequality 𝑒 ≤ 3𝑣 − 9 is satisfied

does not imply that a graph is planar.
COROLLARY 3
If a connected planar simple graph has e edges and v
vertices with 𝑣 ≥ 3 and no circuits of length three,
then 𝑒 ≤ 2𝑣 − 4.

𝑲𝟑,𝟑 has no circuits of length three (it is bipartite),

Corollary 3 can be used to show that it is nonplanar.

If G is a connected planar simple graph, then G has a

𝑲𝟑,𝟑 has 6 vertices and 9 edges.
vertex of degree not exceeding five.
Because 𝑒 = 9 𝑎𝑛𝑑 2𝑣 − 4 = 8, Corally 3 shows that
𝑲𝟑,𝟑 is nonplanar.
Series Reduction
Homeomorphic Graphs
Graphs 𝐺1 and 𝐺2 are homeomorphic 𝐺1 and 𝐺2 can be
reduced to isomorphic graphs by performing a sequence
of series reductions.
then 𝑒 ≤ 2𝑣 − 4.

If G is a connected planar simple graph, then G has a

vertex of degree
𝑮 𝒂𝒏𝒅not
𝑮 exceeding five.
𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄;
𝟏 𝟐
′
𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑮 .
Kuratowski’s Theorem

A graph G is planar if and

only if G does not contain a
subgraph homeomorphic to
K5 or K3,3.
Show that the given graph below is not planar by using Kuratowski’s Theorem.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒓, 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒐 𝑲𝟑,𝟑.
REFERENCE
Jonsonbaugh, Richard. Discrete
th
Mathematics 7 Edition.
THANK YOU!