Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this section, the students are expected to:
1.solve problems using the concept of planarity of
graphs;
2.understand and apply the Euler’s formula.
Three utility companies each need to run pipes
to three houses. Can they do so without
crossing over each other’s pipes at any point?
The puzzle is illustrated in Figure 7.3.1.
House X House Y House Z
Utility A Utility B Utility C
Figure 7.3.1
One way to approach the puzzle is to express the
situation in terms of a graph.
Each of the houses and utility companies will be
represented by a vertex, and we will draw an edge
between two vertices if a pipe needs to run from one
building to the other.
If we were not worried about pipes
crossing, we could easily draw a
solution, as in Figure 7.3.2.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.2
To solve the puzzle, we need to draw an
equivalent graph in which no edges cross over
each other. If this is possible, the graph is called
a planar graph.
Definition 7.3.1 A planar graph is a graph that can
be drawn so that no edges intersects each other
(except at vertices).
If the graph is drawn in such a way that no edges
cross, we say that we have a planar drawing of
the graph.
Example 7.3.1 Show that the graph below is
planar.
As given, the graph has several intersecting
edges. However, we can redraw the graph in an
equivalent form in which no edges touch except at
vertices by redrawing the two red edges shown.
As given, the graph has several intersecting
edges. However, we can redraw the graph in
an equivalent form in which no edges touch
except at vertices by redrawing the two red
edges shown.
To verify that the second graph is equivalent to
the first, we can label the vertices and check that
the edges join the same vertices in each graph.
Because the given graph is equivalent to a graph
whose edges do not intersect, the graph is planar.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.3
Figure 7.3.4
We can draw only one of
these edges inside the loop;
otherwise, two edges would
cross.
This means that the other two
edges must be drawn outside
the loop, but as you can see
in Figure 7.3.5, those two
edges would then have to Figure 7.3.5
cross.
Thus, the graph in Figure
7.3.2, which we will refer
to as the Utilities Graph,
is not planar, and so the
utilities puzzle is not
solvable.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.2
Thus, the graph in Figure 7.3.2, which we will refer to
as the Utilities Graph, is not planar, and so the utilities
puzzle is not solvable.
One strategy we can use to
show that a graph is not planar
is to find a subgraph, a graph
whose edges and vertices come
from the given graph, that is
not planar.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.2
The Utilities Graph in
Figure 7.3.2 is a
common subgraph to
watch for.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.2
Figure 7.3.6
Example 7.3.2 Show that the graph below
is not planar.
In the figure below, we have highlighted
edges connecting the top six vertices.
In the figure below, we have highlighted edges
connecting the top six vertices.
If we consider the highlighted
edges and attached vertices
as a subgraph, we can verify
that the subgraph is the
Utilities Graph.
The graph is slightly distorted compared with the
version shown in Figure 7.3.2, but it is equivalent.
By the preceding theorem,
we know that the graph is not
planar.
The Utilities Graph
Figure 7.3.2
We expand this strategy by considering contractions
of a subgraph. A contraction of a graph is formed by
“shrinking” an edge until the two vertices it connects
come together and blend into one.
If, in the process, the graph is left with any multiple
edges, we merge them into one. The process is
illustrated below.
Example 7.3.3 Show that the first graph below can
be contracted to the second graph.
If we consider contractions, it turns out that the
Utilities Graph and K5 serve as building blocks for
nonplanar graphs.
Example 7.3.4 Show that the graph below is not
planar.
Choose a pair of adjacent outside edges and contract
one of them, as shown in the figure below.
Euler noticed a connection between various features of
planar graphs. In addition to edges and vertices, he
looked at the faces of a graph. In a planar drawing of a
graph, the edges divide the graph into different regions
called faces.
The region surrounding the graph, or the exterior,
is also considered a face, called the infinite face.
The following relationship, called Euler’s formula,
is always true.
Example 7.3.5 Count the number of edges,
vertices, and faces in the planar graph below,
and then verify Euler’s formula.
EXERCISE SET 7.3
I. Determine which of the following is planar.
1. 2.
3. 4.
REFERENCES
1. Aufmann, R.N.(2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. Rex Book
Store, Inc.
2. Rosen, K. (2011). Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, Seventh
Edition. The McGraw Hill Companies.
3. Bondy, J. (1976). Graph Theory and with Applications. North Holland
Publishing Corporation.
4. Daligdig, R.M. (2019). Mathematics in the Modern World. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc.
5. Carpio, J.N. and Peralta, B.D. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World.
Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
6. Olejan, R.O., Veloria, E.V., Bonghanoy, G.B., Ondaro, J.E.,and
Sumalinog, J.D. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. MUTYA
Publishing House, Inc.
7. Manlulu, E.A. and Hipolito, L.M. (2019). A Course Module for
Mathematics in the Modern World. Rex Book Store, Inc.
