Forbidden graph characterizationIn graph theory, a branch of mathematics, many important families of graphs can be described by a finite set of individual graphs that do not belong to the family and further exclude all graphs from the family which contain any of these forbidden graphs as (induced) subgraph or minor. A prototypical example of this phenomenon is Kuratowski's theorem, which states that a graph is planar (can be drawn without crossings in the plane) if and only if it does not contain either of two forbidden graphs, the complete graph K_5 and the complete bipartite graph K_3,3.
PseudoforestIn graph theory, a pseudoforest is an undirected graph in which every connected component has at most one cycle. That is, it is a system of vertices and edges connecting pairs of vertices, such that no two cycles of consecutive edges share any vertex with each other, nor can any two cycles be connected to each other by a path of consecutive edges. A pseudotree is a connected pseudoforest. The names are justified by analogy to the more commonly studied trees and forests.
Diamond graphIn the mathematical field of graph theory, the diamond graph is a planar, undirected graph with 4 vertices and 5 edges. It consists of a complete graph K_4 minus one edge. The diamond graph has radius 1, diameter 2, girth 3, chromatic number 3 and chromatic index 3. It is also a 2-vertex-connected and a 2-edge-connected, graceful, Hamiltonian graph. A graph is diamond-free if it has no diamond as an induced subgraph. The triangle-free graphs are diamond-free graphs, since every diamond contains a triangle.
Biconnected componentIn graph theory, a biconnected component (sometimes known as a 2-connected component) is a maximal biconnected subgraph. Any connected graph decomposes into a tree of biconnected components called the block-cut tree of the graph. The blocks are attached to each other at shared vertices called cut vertices or separating vertices or articulation points. Specifically, a cut vertex is any vertex whose removal increases the number of connected components.
Outerplanar graphIn graph theory, an outerplanar graph is a graph that has a planar drawing for which all vertices belong to the outer face of the drawing. Outerplanar graphs may be characterized (analogously to Wagner's theorem for planar graphs) by the two forbidden minors K4 and K2,3, or by their Colin de Verdière graph invariants. They have Hamiltonian cycles if and only if they are biconnected, in which case the outer face forms the unique Hamiltonian cycle. Every outerplanar graph is 3-colorable, and has degeneracy and treewidth at most 2.
TreewidthIn graph theory, the treewidth of an undirected graph is an integer number which specifies, informally, how far the graph is from being a tree. The smallest treewidth is 1; the graphs with treewidth 1 are exactly the trees and the forests. The graphs with treewidth at most 2 are the series–parallel graphs. The maximal graphs with treewidth exactly k are called k-trees, and the graphs with treewidth at most k are called partial k-trees. Many other well-studied graph families also have bounded treewidth.
Glossary of graph theoryThis is a glossary of graph theory. Graph theory is the study of graphs, systems of nodes or vertices connected in pairs by lines or edges.
Graph minorIn graph theory, an undirected graph H is called a minor of the graph G if H can be formed from G by deleting edges, vertices and by contracting edges. The theory of graph minors began with Wagner's theorem that a graph is planar if and only if its minors include neither the complete graph K5 nor the complete bipartite graph K3,3. The Robertson–Seymour theorem implies that an analogous forbidden minor characterization exists for every property of graphs that is preserved by deletions and edge contractions.