Prove that n edges can connect at most n+1 vertices not by induction.

Audrey Mckee

Audrey Mckee

Answered question

2022-09-06

Prove that n edges can connect at most n + 1 vertices not by induction.
Prove that n edges can connect at most n + 1 vertices. Our professor solved this via induction but I feel I can prove it much more easily using the contrapositive statement. Am I going wrong somewhere?
Proof by contrapositive: n edges cannot connect n + 2 vertices.
name the vertices v 1 , v 2 , , v n + 2
pair them up: ( v 1 , v 2 ) , ( v 2 , v 3 ) , , ( v n + 1 , v n + 2 )
we have now n edges, to be placed in these n + 1 holes, no hole can have more than 1 edge, since multiple edges not allowed in simple graphs. So we will have at least 1 hole empty. Thus this empty hole makes our graph disconnected. thus proved. Now we show by construction that n edges can connect n + 1 vertices, consider vertices, v 1 , v 2 , , v n + 1 we have an edge between v 1 and all other vertices total n edges, and graph is connected.

Answer & Explanation

yamalwg

yamalwg

Beginner2022-09-07Added 17 answers

Step 1
Using degree sum formula: Choose a minimal counterexample such that n edges connect n + 2 vertices. Clearly, n > 1. The graph can't have a leaf (contradicts minimality) and therefore, all degree have to be at least 2. But then, degree sum formula can't hold. So, there is no minimal counter example.
Step 2
Alternatively: Let G be a connected graph on n + 2 vertices such that e ( G ) = n. Keep removing degree 1 vertices till all vertices are at least degree 2. Removing a degree one vertex might not give a graph with minimal degree 2. But if we keep to the process, we will eventually end up there. If we keep trimming and we end up at two vertices and an edge, then there weren't n + 2 vertices to begin with. We can show that such a graph G has a cycle. Start at some vertex a 1 and find a 2 { a 1 } that it is connected to. Keep going till you run out of the vertices and have to come back to same a i that was already traversed. This process can only end if there is a dead end, a vertex of degree 1. But we removed them all. Now, remove an edge in this cycle and we can see that by taking the other route around, we still maintain connectivity in the graph. Again, trim all the vertices of degree 1 and get a new graph of minimum degree two. Find a cycle and remove an edge from it. Repeat this process over and over. It must bring the graph down to 0 edges but it will still have vertices left, by our assumption.

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