Math Problem Statement
An \emph{orientation} of an undirected graph $G=(V,E)$ is a directed graph $G'=(V,E')$ that has the same set $V$ of vertices and whose set $E'$ of directed edges is obtained by choosing a direction on each of the edges of $G$. That is, for each edge $u\edg v$ in $E$ we put in $E'$ either the directed edge $u\dedg v$ or the directed edge $v\dedg u$, but \emph{not both}.
Let $G=(V,E)$ be an undirected graph with 2 or more nodes, and let $a,b$ be two distinct nodes in $V$. Prove that $G$ has some orientation that is a DAG in which $a$ is a source and $b$ is a sink.
Solution
To prove that any undirected graph with at least two nodes has some orientation that is a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) where is a source and is a sink, we proceed as follows:
1. Understanding the Requirements
- An orientation of means assigning a direction to each edge such that it becomes either or , but not both.
- A DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) is a directed graph with no directed cycles.
- Node being a source means all edges incident to are directed away from (no incoming edges at ).
- Node being a sink means all edges incident to are directed toward (no outgoing edges from ).
We aim to construct an orientation of that satisfies all these conditions.
2. Orientation Strategy
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Choose a Topological Order: A topological order of the vertices of a graph is an arrangement such that for every directed edge , appears before in the ordering. If has no cycles, such an order exists.
Start by choosing a topological ordering of where is the first vertex () and is the last vertex ().
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Orient Edges Based on Topological Order: For each undirected edge , orient the edge if comes before in the topological order. Specifically:
- If , orient for all adjacent to .
- If , orient for all adjacent to .
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Resulting Graph is a DAG: By construction, the orientation follows the topological order. Since no edge points backward in the order, no directed cycle can exist.
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Ensure is a Source and is a Sink:
- is the first vertex in the topological order, so all edges incident to are directed away from .
- is the last vertex in the topological order, so all edges incident to are directed toward .
3. Formal Proof
Existence of a Topological Order
- Start with any spanning tree of . Root the tree at , and define a topological order by performing a Depth-First Search (DFS) or Breadth-First Search (BFS) starting from . Assign numbers to vertices as they are first visited.
- In this order:
- will be the first vertex (root of the spanning tree).
- will appear last as it is distinct from .
Acyclicity
- If an orientation is assigned based on this topological order, no directed edge points backward. Thus, there are no directed cycles, and the resulting graph is a DAG.
Properties of and
- By construction, is a source since all edges incident to point away.
- Similarly, is a sink since all edges incident to point toward .
4. Conclusion
We have shown that it is possible to orient the edges of to form a DAG where is a source and is a sink.
Would you like further details on any step? Here are some related questions:
- What is a detailed example of constructing such an orientation for a specific graph?
- How does the proof ensure there are no directed cycles?
- How can we compute a topological order for a graph algorithmically?
- Can we generalize this proof for -many sources or sinks?
- What is the computational complexity of finding such an orientation?
Tip: When working with orientations, always check for cycles using the topological ordering approach!
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Graph Theory
Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG)
Graph Orientation
Topological Ordering
Formulas
Topological ordering via Depth-First Search (DFS) or Breadth-First Search (BFS)
Theorems
Existence of a Topological Ordering in DAGs
Suitable Grade Level
Undergraduate (Discrete Mathematics/Computer Science)