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Cutsets and Cutvertices

1) The document discusses cutsets and cut-vertices in graph theory. A cutset is a minimal set of edges in a connected graph whose removal disconnects the graph. 2) Properties of cutsets are covered, including that a cutset always separates a connected graph into two parts. Cutsets are important for studying communication and transportation networks. 3) The document also discusses rank and nullity (cyclomatic number) of graphs, defined based on the number of vertices, edges, and components. For a connected graph, the rank is the number of vertices minus one, and the nullity is the number of edges minus the number of vertices plus one.

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167 views7 pages

Cutsets and Cutvertices

1) The document discusses cutsets and cut-vertices in graph theory. A cutset is a minimal set of edges in a connected graph whose removal disconnects the graph. 2) Properties of cutsets are covered, including that a cutset always separates a connected graph into two parts. Cutsets are important for studying communication and transportation networks. 3) The document also discusses rank and nullity (cyclomatic number) of graphs, defined based on the number of vertices, edges, and components. For a connected graph, the rank is the number of vertices minus one, and the nullity is the number of edges minus the number of vertices plus one.

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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF LUCKNOW
LUCKNOW

Course: Bachelor of Technology - 3rd Year

Subject: Graph Theory (CS-604)

Topic: CUTSETS AND CUT-VERTICES

Er. Priyanka Tripathi


Assistant Professor
Deptt. of C.S.E.
CUTSETS AND CUT-VERTICES
In previous lectures we studied the spanning tree—a special type of
subgraph of a connected graph G—which kept all the vertices of G together.

In this tutorial we shall study the cut-set—another type of subgraph of a


connected graph G whose removal from G separates some vertices from others
in G.

Properties of cutsets and their applications will be covered.

Other related topics, such as connectivity and separability, will also be


discussed.

4-1. CUTSETS
In a connected graph G, a cut-set is a set of edges whose removal from G
leaves G disconnected, provided removal of no proper subset of these edges
disconnects G.

Fig. 4-1 Removal of a cut-set {a, c, d, f} from a graph “cuts” it into two.

For instance, in Fig. 4-1 the set of edges {a, c, d, f} is a cut-set. There are
many other cutsets, such as {a, b, g} , {a, b, e, f} , and {d, h, f}. Edge {k} alone
is also a cut-set. The set of edges {a, c, h, d} , on the other hand, is not a cut-
set, because one of its proper subsets, {a, c, h}, is a cut-set.

To emphasize the fact that no proper subset of a cut-set can be a cut-


set, some authors refer to a cut-set as a minimal cut-set, a proper cut-
set, or a simple cut-set. Sometimes a cut-set is also called a cocycle.
We shall just use the term cut-set.

A cut-set always “cuts” a graph into two. Therefore, a cut-set can also
be defined as a minimal set of edges in a connected graph whose removal
reduces the rank of the graph by one. The rank of the graph in Fig. 4.1(b),
for instance, is four, one less than that of the graph in Fig, 4.1(a).

Another way of looking at a cut-set is this: if we partition all the vertices


of a connected graph G into two mutually exclusive subsets, a cut-set is a
minimal number of edges whose removal from G destroys all paths
between these two sets of vertices.

Fig. 4-1 Removal of a cut-set {a, c, d, f} from a graph “cuts” it into two.

For example, in Fig. 4-1(a) cut-set {a, c, d, f} connects vertex set {v1, v2
, v6} with {v3, v4, v5}. (Note that one or both of these two subsets of vertices
may consist of just one vertex.)
Since removal of any edge from a tree breaks the tree into two parts,
every edge of a tree is a cut-set.

Cutsets are of great importance in studying properties of communication


and transportation networks.

Fig. 4-1 Removal of a cut-set {a, c, d, f} from a graph “cuts” it into two

Suppose, for example, that the six vertices in Fig. 4-1(a) represent six
cities connected by telephone lines (edges). We wish to find out if there
are any weak spots in the network that need strengthening by means of
additional telephone lines. We look at all cutsets of the graph, and the one
with the smallest number of edges is the most vulnerable. In Fig. 4-1(a),
the city represented by vertex v3 can be severed from the rest of the
network by the destruction of just one edge.
Rank and Nullity:

When someone specifies a graph G,

the first thing he is most likely to mention is n, the number of vertices in


G.

Immediately following comes e, the number of edges in G.

Then k, the number of components G has.

If k = 1, G is connected.

Every component of a graph must have at least one vertex, n ≥ k.

From these three numbers are derived two other important numbers
called rank and nullity, defined as

In a Dis-connected graph

rank r = n − k,
nullity µ = e − n + k.
In a connected graph
rank = n − 1,
nullity= e − n + 1.

The nullity of a graph is also referred to as its cyclomatic number, or first


Betti number.
Disclaimer: This content is solely for the purpose of e-learning by students and any commercial
use is not permitted. The author does not claim originality of the content and it is based on the
following references”.

References
 Deo, N, Graph theory with applications to Engineering and Computer
Science, PHI.
 Gary Chartrand and Ping Zhang, Introduction to Graph Theory, TMH.
 Robin J. Wilson, Introduction to Graph Theory, Pearson Education.

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