Topic > Essay on Graph Theory - 1962

To define and establish what graph theory is, we must first take note of its origin and basis within the broad subject of mathematics. Graph theory, a smaller branch of a broad class of mathematics known as combinatorics, defined by Jacob Fox as "is the study of finite or countable discrete structures." Areas of study in combinatorics include enumerative combinatorics, combinatorics design, extreme combinatorics, and algebraic combinatorics. These subfields consist of counting mathematical structures, constructing and analyzing structures, discovering “extreme” or “optimal” structures, and studying combinatorial structures in the algebraic context. These examples only portray a general sense of combinatorics, just to give a rough idea of ​​what this branch of mathematics covers. Having defined the general concept of combinatorics, we can now delve into the distinct subfield of graph theory. Graph theory is defined as the study of graphs, defined as mathematical structures used to represent relationships between mathematical objects. More specifically, graph theory involves ways in which finite sets of points, called vertices or nodes, can be connected by lines or arcs, also called edges. Graphs examined through graph theory should not be confused with better-known graphs, which are functions or relations plotted on the coordinate plane. Graphs can be characterized by multiple properties, the most common of which is complexity. The complexity of a graph depends on various factors such as the number of edges allowed between two vertices, whether or not each edge has an assigned direction, and many other elements. This is the most general sense of what the graph... in the center of the paper... would take to get to the other person. Surprisingly, they average only six. It actually turned out that the most edges between two people was a paltry twelve. Graph theory truly proves that the digital age of globalization has connected everyone more than we think. As we have discovered, graph theory has a wide range of applications. These range from Leonhard Euler's famous solution of the Königsberg seven bridges problem, to the classic four-color theorem, to current focuses on applications in computer science and data science. With all these uses, it is certainly clear that graph theory is a topic of modern mathematics that is here to stay. Not only are there enormous applications in a large number of fields, but graph theory does a tremendous job of modeling, explaining, and solving real-world problems..