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 G=(V,E)G = (V, E) with at least two nodes has some orientation that is a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) where aa is a source and bb is a sink, we proceed as follows:


1. Understanding the Requirements

  • An orientation of GG means assigning a direction to each edge u\edgvu \edg v such that it becomes either uvu \to v or vuv \to u, but not both.
  • A DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) is a directed graph with no directed cycles.
  • Node aa being a source means all edges incident to aa are directed away from aa (no incoming edges at aa).
  • Node bb being a sink means all edges incident to bb are directed toward bb (no outgoing edges from bb).

We aim to construct an orientation of GG that satisfies all these conditions.


2. Orientation Strategy

  1. Choose a Topological Order: A topological order of the vertices of a graph is an arrangement v1,v2,,vnv_1, v_2, \dots, v_n such that for every directed edge uvu \to v, uu appears before vv in the ordering. If GG has no cycles, such an order exists.

    Start by choosing a topological ordering v1,v2,,vnv_1, v_2, \dots, v_n of VV where aa is the first vertex (v1=av_1 = a) and bb is the last vertex (vn=bv_n = b).

  2. Orient Edges Based on Topological Order: For each undirected edge u\edgvEu \edg v \in E, orient the edge uvu \to v if uu comes before vv in the topological order. Specifically:

    • If u=au = a, orient ava \to v for all vv adjacent to aa.
    • If v=bv = b, orient ubu \to b for all uu adjacent to bb.
  3. 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.

  4. Ensure aa is a Source and bb is a Sink:

    • aa is the first vertex in the topological order, so all edges incident to aa are directed away from aa.
    • bb is the last vertex in the topological order, so all edges incident to bb are directed toward bb.

3. Formal Proof

Existence of a Topological Order

  • Start with any spanning tree TT of GG. Root the tree at aa, and define a topological order by performing a Depth-First Search (DFS) or Breadth-First Search (BFS) starting from aa. Assign numbers to vertices as they are first visited.
  • In this order:
    • aa will be the first vertex (root of the spanning tree).
    • bb will appear last as it is distinct from aa.

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 aa and bb

  • By construction, aa is a source since all edges incident to aa point away.
  • Similarly, bb is a sink since all edges incident to bb point toward bb.

4. Conclusion

We have shown that it is possible to orient the edges of GG to form a DAG where aa is a source and bb is a sink.


Would you like further details on any step? Here are some related questions:

  1. What is a detailed example of constructing such an orientation for a specific graph?
  2. How does the proof ensure there are no directed cycles?
  3. How can we compute a topological order for a graph algorithmically?
  4. Can we generalize this proof for kk-many sources or sinks?
  5. 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)