Graph theory is the study of graphs, which are mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects. A graph in this context is made up of vertices (or nodes) and edges (or lines).

Basic Concepts

  • Vertices: These are the individual objects that are connected by edges.
  • Edges: These are the connections between vertices.

Types of Graphs

  • Directed Graph: Edges have a direction.
  • Undirected Graph: Edges have no direction.

Applications

Graph theory has many applications in various fields such as computer science, social sciences, and physics.

  • Computer Science: Used in network design, algorithms, and data structures.
  • Social Sciences: Used in social network analysis.
  • Physics: Used in modeling physical systems.

Example

To understand graph theory better, let's consider a simple example of a social network.

  • Vertices: People in the network.
  • Edges: Friendships between people.

Social Network Example

For more information on graph theory, you can read our detailed Graph Theory Guide.