2 - Definitions
from Part II - Graph Basics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2026
Summary
‘Graph theory’ is a relatively recent addition to the mathematical canon. Some date its origins to the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler’s (1708–83) work on the bridges of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) in 1736. The city was at the junction of two rivers forming an island, and seven bridges connected the four regions of the city (Fig. 2.1). According to legend, the citizens asked Euler whether it was possible to take a walk, crossing each of the bridges just once and returning to the starting point. Euler showed that this was not possible.
(The picture shows the layout of the bridges in Euler’s time. Since then, destruction in war and new construction have changed the layout.
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- The Shrikhande GraphA Window on Discrete Mathematics, pp. 11 - 36Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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