Questions with a (⋆) are each worth 1 bonus point for 453 students.
- Recall that the adjacency matrix of a simple graph 𝐺 with vertex set
{𝑣1, 𝑣2, … , 𝑣𝑛} is the 𝑛 × 𝑛 matrix 𝐴 with entries
𝐴𝑖,𝑗 = {1 𝑣𝑖 is adjacent to 𝑣𝑗
0 otherwise
- Let 𝐾3,4 be the complete bipartite graph with vertices
{𝑣1, 𝑣2, 𝑣3, 𝑣4, 𝑣5,𝑣6, 𝑣7} and where vertices 𝑣𝑖 and 𝑣𝑗 are adjacent if and only if 𝑖 and 𝑗 have different parity (one of 𝑖 or 𝑗 is odd and the other is even.) What does the adjacency matrix 𝐴 look like in this case?
- Let 𝐾3,4 be the complete bipartite graph with vertices
{𝑣1, 𝑣2, 𝑣3, 𝑣4, 𝑣5,𝑣6, 𝑣7} and where vertices 𝑣𝑖 and 𝑣𝑗 are adjacent if and only if (𝑖 ≤ 3 and 𝑗 ≥ 4) or (𝑖 ≥ 4 and 𝑗 ≤ 3). What does the adjacency matrix 𝐴 look like in this case?
- We let 𝐺 be a connected graph. For any vertex 𝑣 𝑉, define its eccentricity by the formula ecc.
This is the length of “longest among all shortest paths with 𝑣 as an endpoint.”
- Let 𝐺 be the graph drawn below. Label each vertex with its eccentricity.
- The diameter of a graph is the maximum among the eccentricities of its vertices and the radius of a graph is the minimum among the eccentricities of its vertices. For the graph 𝐺 drawn in part a, what is its diameter and radius?
- A central vertex is a vertex 𝑣 such that ecc(𝑣) = radius(𝐺). Which of the vertices in the graph 𝐺 are central vertices?
- A peripheral vertex is a vertex 𝑣 such that ecc(𝑣) = diameter(𝐺). Which of the vertices in graph 𝐺 are peripheral vertices?
- Explain why it is important for these definitions that 𝐺 be a connected graph.
- Show that for any connected graph 𝐻, radius diameter radius(𝐻).
One inequality is quite easy and the second can be handled using a central vertex and the triangle inequality.
- Recall that a bridge is an edge whose deletion increases the number of components of a graph. Also, a link is another term for “non-bridge.”
- In the graph 𝐺 (same as in problem 2a) below, which edges are bridges and which edges are links?
- If you delete all of the bridges, how many components remain?
- Suppose, instead, you deleted links one at a time until the remaining graph had no links. How many links could you delete in this process?
- Let 𝐺 be a graph and 𝑥 be a vertex of 𝐺. We say that 𝑢 ≈ 𝑤 if 𝐷(𝑢, 𝑥) = 𝐷(𝑤, 𝑥). When we discuss trees, the equivalence classes under ≈ will be the levels of a tree.
- Show that the relation ≈ is reflexive.
- Show that the relation ≈ is symmetric.
- Show that the relation ≈ is transitive.
- Suppose 𝑥 has no loops and suppose 𝑢𝑥 is an edge. Briefly describe the equivalence class [𝑢] under ≈.



