Math Problem Statement
How many distinct toposorts does a DAG with 3 vertices and 2 edges have? Prove your answer.
Solution
Problem Breakdown:
A DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) is a directed graph without any cycles. A topological sort (toposort) of a DAG is an ordering of its vertices such that for every directed edge , vertex appears before vertex in the ordering.
We need to determine how many distinct topological sorts are possible for a DAG with 3 vertices () and 2 edges ().
Proof and Solution:
Step 1: Possible Structures of the DAG
For , let the vertices be . Since there are 2 edges and the graph is acyclic, the edges must form a partial ordering. Several configurations are possible for how the edges are arranged:
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Case 1: Linear chain (A → B → C)
Here, the edges are and .
The only valid toposort is .
Distinct toposorts = 1. -
Case 2: Fork (A → B, A → C)
Here, the edges are and .
Both and depend on , but and are independent of each other.
Valid toposorts: and .
Distinct toposorts = 2. -
Case 3: Reverse fork (B → A, C → A)
Here, the edges are and .
Both and must appear before , but and are independent of each other.
Valid toposorts: and .
Distinct toposorts = 2. -
Case 4: Separate chains (B → A, A → C)
Here, the edges are and .
This creates a linear ordering .
The only valid toposort is .
Distinct toposorts = 1.
Step 2: Total Number of Distinct Toposorts
Adding up the counts from all possible cases:
1 (Linear chain) + 2 (Fork) + 2 (Reverse fork) + 1 (Separate chains) = 6 distinct toposorts.
Final Answer:
There are 6 distinct topological sorts possible for a DAG with 3 vertices and 2 edges.
Questions for Further Exploration:
- What happens to the number of distinct toposorts if the number of edges is increased to 3?
- How does the structure of the graph affect the number of topological sorts?
- Can you generalize the formula for counting toposorts for a DAG with vertices and edges?
- What is the computational complexity of finding all topological sorts for a general DAG?
- How does a topological sort relate to critical path analysis in project scheduling?
Tip:
To enumerate all toposorts for any DAG, consider using algorithms like Kahn's algorithm or DFS-based topological sorting, which systematically process the graph's vertices respecting their dependencies.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Graph Theory
Topological Sorting
Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG)
Formulas
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Theorems
Definition of Topological Sort
Properties of DAGs
Suitable Grade Level
Undergraduate (Discrete Mathematics/Computer Science)
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