Euler Graph

By

K. KARTHIKA
SAS – Mathematics
VIT, Vellore.
Graph
A graph G = ( V, E ) consists of a set of V = { v1, v2, … }
called vertices and another set E = { e1, e2, … }, whose
elements are called edges, such that each edge ek is
identified with an unordered pair ( vi vj ) of vertices.

e1

e2

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• Eulerian Path is a path in graph that visits every
edge exactly once.

• Eulerian Circuit is an Eulerian Path which starts

and ends on the same vertex.

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 

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Euler Graphs
A closed walk in a graph G containing all the edges of G is
called an Euler line in G. A graph containing an Euler line is
called an Euler graph.

a) is Euler, v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v3 v6 v1 is an Euler line

b) is non - Eulerian.
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Theorem 1
A connected graph G is an Euler graph if and only if all vertices of
G are of even degree.
Proof
Necessary part:
Let G be an Euler graph. Thus G contains an Euler line Z, which is
a closed walk. Let this walk start and end at the vertex u ∈ V.
Since each visit of Z to an intermediate vertex v of Z contributes
two to the degree of v and since Z traverses each edge exactly
once, d(v) is even for every such vertex. Each intermediate visit to
u contributes two to the degree of u, and also the initial and final
edges of Z contribute one each to the degree of u. So the degree of
u is also even.

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Sufficient part:
Assume that all vertices of G are of even degree. We construct a walk
starting at an arbitrary vertex v and going through the edges of G such that
no edge of G is traced more than once. The tracing is continued as far as
possible. Since every vertex is of even degree, we exit from the vertex we
enter and the tracing clearly cannot stop at any vertex but v. As v is also of
even degree, we reach v when the tracing comes to an end. If this closed
walk Z we just traced includes all the edges of G, then G is an Euler graph. If
not, we remove from G all the edges in Z and obtain a subgraph Z 1 of G
formed by the remaining edges. Since both G and Z have all their vertices of
even degree, the degrees of the vertices of Z1 are also even. Also, Z1 touches
Z at least at one vertex say u, because G is connected. Starting from u, we
again construct a new walk in Z1 . As all the vertices of Z1 are of even
degree, therefore this walk in Z1 terminates at vertex u. This walk in Z1
combined with Z forms a new walk, which starts and ends at the vertex v and
has more edges than Z. This process is repeated till we obtain a closed walk
that traces all the edges of G. Hence G is an Euler graph

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• Graph Operations
Union
Let G1 = ( V1, E1 ) and G2 = ( V2, E2 ) be two graphs. The union of G1
and G2, denoted by G1 ∪ G2, is the graph whose vertex set is V1 ∪
V2 and edge set is E1 ∪ E2.

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Intersection
Let G1 = ( V1, E1 ) and G2 = ( V2, E2 ) be two graphs. The
intersection of G1 and G2, denoted by G1 ∩ G2, is the graph whose
vertex set is V1 ∩ V2 and edge set is E1 ∩ E2.

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Ring Sum
Let G1 = ( V1, E1 ) and G2 = ( V2, E2 ) be two graphs. The ring sum
of G1 and G2, denoted by G1 ⊕ G2, is the graph whose vertex set
is V1 ∪ V2 and whose edges are that of either G1 or G2, but not
of both.

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Decomposition
A graph G is said to be decomposed into two subgraphs G1 and G2 if
G1 ∪ G2 = G and G1 ∩ G2 = a null graph. In other words, every edge
of G occurs either in G1 or in G2, but not in both, while as some of
the vertices can occur in both G1 and G2. In decomposition, isolated
vertices are disregarded.

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Deletion
Let G be a graph and v be any vertex in G. Then G − v denotes
the subgraph of G by deleting vertex v, and all the edges of G
which are incident with v.

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Fusion
A pair of vertices u and v in a graph are said to be fused (merged
or identified) if u and v are replaced by a single new vertex such
that every edge incident on u or v is incident on this new vertex.
Therefore, fusion of vertices does not alter the number of edges,
but reduces the number of vertices by one.

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Unicursal Graphs
An open walk that includes (or traces) all edges of a graph without
retracing any edge is called a unicursal line or open Euler line. A
connected graph that has a unicursal line is called a unicursal graph.

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Theorem 2
In a connected graph G with exactly 2k odd vertices, there exists k
edge disjoint subgraphs such that they together contain all edges of G
and that each is a unicursal graph.
Proof
Let G be a connected graph with exactly 2k odd vertices.

Let these odd vertices be named v1, v2, ..., vk ; w1, w2, ..., wk in any
arbitrary order.

Add k edges to G between the vertex pairs ( v1, w1 ), (v2, w2 ), ..., (vk ,
wk) to form a new graph H, so that every vertex of H is of even degree.
Therefore H contains an Euler line Z.

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Now, if we remove from Z the k edges we just added (no two of
these edges are incident on the same vertex), then Z is divided into k
walks, each of which is a unicursal line.

The first removal gives a single unicursal line, the second removal
divides that into two unicursal lines, and each successive removal
divides a unicursal line into two unicursal lines, until there are k of
them. Hence the result.

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 1 2

5 6

8 7

G 3
4

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Theorem 3
A connected graph G is Eulerian if and only if its edge set can be
decomposed into cycles.
Proof
Let G be a connected graph and let G be decomposed into cycles.

If k of these cycles are incident at a particular vertex v, then d(v) =

2k.

Therefore the degree of every vertex of G is even and hence G is

Eulerian.

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Conversely, let G be Eulerian. We show G can be decomposed into
cycles.

To prove this, we use induction on the number of edges.

Since d(v) ≥ 2 for each v ∈ V, G has a cycle C. Then G − E ( C ) is

possibly a disconnected graph, each of whose components C1,
C2, ..., Ck is an even degree graph and hence Eulerian.

By the induction hypothesis, each Ci is a disjoint union of cycles.

These together with C provide a partition of E(G) into cycles.

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