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Eulerian & semi-Eulerian Graphs Simplified Revision Notes

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10.2.2 Eulerian & semi-Eulerian Graphs

Introduction to Eulerian and Semi-Eulerian Graphs

Graphs are classified as Eulerian, semi-Eulerian, or neither based on their ability to support an Eulerian path or circuit.

Key Definitions:

  1. Eulerian Path: A path that visits every edge in the graph exactly once.
  2. Eulerian Circuit: A circuit that visits every edge in the graph exactly once and starts and ends at the same vertex.
  3. Order of a Node: The order (or degree) of a node is the number of edges connected to it.

Classifying Graphs

Eulerian Graph

A graph is Eulerian if:

  • All vertices have even order, and
  • The graph is connected.
lightbulbExample

Example: Eulerian Graph A square with all vertices connected:

Vertices: A,B,C,D,Edges: AB,BC,CD,DA\text{Vertices: } A, B, C, D, \quad \text{Edges: } AB, BC, CD, DA

All vertices have order 2 (even)

Semi-Eulerian Graph

A graph is semi-Eulerian if:

  • Exactly two vertices have odd order, and
  • The graph is connected.

The Eulerian path starts at one of the vertices in odd order and ends at the other.

lightbulbExample

Example: Semi-Eulerian Graph A triangle with one additional edge connecting to a new vertex:

Vertices: A,B,C,D,Edges: AB,BC,CA,AD\text{Vertices: } A, B, C, D, \quad \text{Edges: } AB, BC, CA, AD
  • Orders: A=3A=3 (odd), B=2B=2 (even), C=2C=2 (even), D=1D=1 (odd).

Neither

A graph is neither Eulerian nor semi-Eulerian if:

  • It is disconnected, or
  • It has more than two vertices in odd order.
lightbulbExample

Example: Neither A graph with disconnected components or three vertices with odd order cannot be Eulerian or semi-Eulerian.

Worked Examples

infoNote

Example 1: Determine the Type of Graph


Problem:

Given the graph:

  • Vertices: A,B,C,DA, B, C, D
  • Edges: AB,AC,BC,CD,BDAB, AC, BC, CD, BD

Solution:

  1. Find Orders of Vertices:
  • A=2,B=3,C=3,D=2A = 2, B = 3, C = 3, D = 2
  1. Count Odd Orders:
  • Odd: B,CB,C (2 vertices).
  1. Classify the Graph:
  • Two odd-order vertices → Semi-Eulerian.
infoNote

Example 2: Check if a Graph is Eulerian


Problem:

Given the graph:

  • Vertices: A,B,C,DA, B, C, D
  • Edges: AB,BC,CD,DAAB, BC, CD, DA

Solution:

  1. Find Orders of Vertices:
  • A=2,B=2,C=2,D=2A = 2, B = 2, C = 2, D = 2
  1. Count Odd Orders:
  • Odd: None.
  1. Classify the Graph:
  • All even-order vertices → Eulerian.
infoNote

Example 3: Neither Eulerian nor Semi-Eulerian


Problem:

Given the graph:

  • Vertices: A,B,C,DA, B, C, D
  • Edges: AB,AC,BDAB, AC, BD

Solution:

  1. Find Orders of Vertices:
  • A=2,B=2,C=1,D=1A = 2, B = 2, C = 1, D = 1
  1. Count Odd Orders:
  • Odd: C,DC, D (2 vertices).
  1. Connectedness Check:
  • Graph is disconnected (no path between CC and DD).
  1. Classify the Graph:
  • Disconnected → Neither.

Note Summary

infoNote

Common Mistakes

  1. Miscounting Orders: Ensure each vertex's degree includes all connected edges.
  2. Ignoring Connectedness: A graph must be connected to be Eulerian or semi-Eulerian.
  3. Confusion About Odd Vertices: Semi-Eulerian graphs must have exactly two odd-order vertices.
  4. Overlooking Special Cases: Loops (edges connecting a vertex to itself) contribute 2 to the vertex's order.
  5. Assuming All Cycles are Eulerian: Only cycles with even-order vertices are Eulerian.
infoNote

Key Formulas and Rules

  1. Eulerian Graph:
  • All vertices have even order.
  • The graph is connected.
  1. Semi-Eulerian Graph:
  • Exactly two vertices have an odd order.
  • The graph is connected.
  1. Neither:
  • More than two odd-order vertices or the graph is disconnected.
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