GRAPHS & DIGRAPHS 5th Edition

Since graph theory was considered to have begun some 275 years ago, it has evolved into a subject with a fascinating history, a host of interesting problems and numerous diverse applications. While graph theory has developed ever-increasing connections with other areas of mathematics and a variety of scholarly fields, it is its beauty that has attracted so many to it. As with the previous editions, the objective of this fifth edition is to describe much of the story that is graph theory – in terms of its concepts, its theorems, its applications and its history. Here too, the audience for the fifth edition is beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduate students. The main prerequisite required of students using this book is a knowledge of mathematical proofs. Some elementary knowledge of linear algebra and group theory is also useful for some topics. Although a one-semester course in graph theory using this text can be designed by selecting topics of greatest interest to the instructor and students, there is more than ample material available for a two-semester sequence in graph theory. Our goal has been to prepare a book that is interesting, carefully written, student-friendly and consisting of clear proofs. The fifth edition is approximately 50% longer than the fourth edition. Some major changes from the fourth edition are: