Connectivity

Definition:
1.

Path

A sequence of edges that begins at a vertex of a graph and

travels from vertex to vertex along edges of the graph.

2.

Circuit

A path that begins and ends at the same vertex.

3.

Simple path / circuit :

A path/circuit is simple if it does not contain the

same edge more than once.

Example 1:
a

i)

a-d-c-f-e

ii)

d-e-c-a

iii)

b-c-f-e-b

iv)

a-b-e-d-a-b

Exercise:
Does each of these lists of vertices form a path in the following graph? Which paths are
simple? Which are circuits? What are the lengths of those that are paths?
a)

i)

a-e-b-c-b

ii)

a-e-a-d-b-c-a :

iii)

e-b-a-d-b-e

iv)

c-b-d-a-e-c

b)
a

i)

a-b-e-c-b

ii)

a-d-a-d-a

iii)

a-d-b-e-a

iv)

a-b-e-c-b-d-a :

Connectedness in Undirected Graph

Definition:

An undirected graph is called connected if there is a path between every

pair of distinct vertices of the graph.

Example 2:
a

c
d

g
G1

G2

G1 is connected because for every pair of distinct vertices, there is a path between
them.
G2 is not connected. For instance, there is no path in G2 between vertices a and d.

Connectedness in Directed Graph

Definition:
A directed graph is strongly connected if there is a path from v1 to v 2 and

1.

from v 2 to v1 whenever v1 and v 2 are vertices in the graph.

A directed graph is weakly connected if there is a path between every two

2.

vertices in the underlying undirected graph.

A directed graph is weakly connected if and only if there is always a path

between two vertices when the directions of the edges are disregarded.
Any strongly connected graph is also weakly connected.

Example 3:
a

b
c

G is strongly connected because there is a path between any two vertices in this
directed graph. Hence, G is also weakly connected.

 H is not strongly connected. There is no directed path from a to b in this graph.

However, H is weakly connected because there is a path between any two vertices
in the underlying undirected graph of H.