An undirected graph is a type of graph where the edges have no specified direction assigned to the them.
Example of undirected graph
Characteristics of an Undirected Graph:
- Edges in an undirected graph are bidirectional in nature.
- In an undirected graph, there is no concept of a “parent” or “child” vertex as there is no direction to the edges.
- An undirected graph may contain loops, which are edges that connect a vertex to itself.
- Degree of each vertex is the same as the total no of edges connected to it.
Applications of Undirected Graph:
- Social Networks: Undirected graphs are used to model social networks where people are represented by nodes and the connections between them are represented by edges.
- Traffic flow optimization: Undirected graphs are used in traffic flow optimization to model the flow of vehicles on road networks. The vertices of the graph represent intersections or road segments, and the edges represent the connections between them. The graph can be used to optimize traffic flow and plan transportation infrastructure.
- Website analysis: Undirected graphs can be used to analyze the links between web pages on the internet. Each web page is represented by a vertex, and each link between web pages is represented by an edge.
Advantages of Undirected Graph:
- It provides simplicity as they are basic and easy to grasp, making them valuable for representing a wide range of real-world systems.
- It provides flexibility as they are versatile and may be used to describe a broad range of systems.
Disadvantages of Undirected Graph:
- It may be undesirable for some applications that need directionality due to their lack of directionality.
- It provides limited information, In some cases, it may not give enough information about certain systems since they merely capture the existence or absence of edges.