GRAPH COLORING
A graph coloring is an assignment of labels, called colors, to the vertices of a graph such that no
two adjacent vertices share the same color. It has j=huge number of applications like
minimizing conflicts in scheduling, mobile radio frequency assignment, map coloring and
designating sets of signals.
Vertex coloring is the most common graph coloring problem. Vertex-coloring is proper if two
adjacent vertices are always assigned different colors. Edge coloring, where no vertex is
incident to two edges of same color. Face coloring is a geographical map coloring.
A graph G is n-colorable if it has a proper vertex=-coloring with n or fever colors.
Chromatic number is the smallest number of colors needed to color a graph.
This figure can be colored in minimum 3 colors
Chromatic Number of a graph
Representing a map as a graph, always results in a planar graph. The chromatic number
X(G) of a graph G is the minimal number of colors for which such an assignment is possible. The
figure above has a chromatic number of 3
A graph is 2-colorable if and only if it has no circuits that consist of odd number of
vertices.
Examples:
1. Find the chromatic number of the K3,3 below.
Solution:
2, since it is a bipartite graph. One color for the top set of vertices, another color for the
bottom set of vertices.
2.
A graph G with X(G)=X’(G)= 3 colorable
The graph is shown with a 3-coloring of its vertex-set. Since it is not 2-colorable, its chromatic number is
3.
While it is true that for any number n, there is a graph with chromatic number n, only some
graphs arrive as representations of maps. If you convert a map to a graph, the edges between vertices
correspond to borders between the countries. So, you should be able to connect vertices in such a way
where the edges do not across. In other words, the graph representing maps are all planar.
What is the largest chromatic number of planar graphs? The answer is known as theorem of graph
theory
The Four-Color Theorem
The four-color theorem states that given any separation of a plane into connecting regions,
producing a figure called a map, no more than four colors are required to color the regions of the map
so that no two adjacent regions have the same color. Adjacent means that two regions share a common
boundary curve segment, not merely a corner where three or more regions meet.
The Four-Color Theorem
If G is a planar graph, then the chromatic number of G is less than or equal to 4. Thus, any map can be
properly colored with 4 or fewer colors.
Example of a four-colored map:
A four-coloring of a map of the states of the United States (ignoring lakes)
Application of Graph Coloring
Graph coloring is very much applicable in our life. One of which is cartography. Other
applications include activity scheduling or Timetable, security camera placement optimization in a large
building with many corners such that you minimize overlap, construction of a wildlife reserve (applying
knowledge of food chains to see what combination of animals can live together and not completely wipe
each other out), Mobile Radio Frequency Assignments, Sudoku, Register Allocation, Bipartite Graphs,
Map Coloring, and GSM Networks. The Groupe Special Mobile (GSM) was created in 1982 to provide a
standard for a mobile telephone system. The first GSM network was launched in 1991 by Radiolinjia in
Finland with joint technical infrastructure maintenance from Ericsson. Today, GSM is the most popular
standard for mobile phones in the world, used by over 2 billion people across more than 212 countries.
GSM is a cellular network with its entire geographical range divided into hexagonal cells. Each cell has a
communication tower which connects with mobile phones connect to the GSM network by searching for
cells in the immediate vicinity. GSM networks operate in only four different frequency ranges. The
reason why only four different frequencies suffice is clear: the map of the cellular regions can be
properly colored by using only four different colors! So, the vertex coloring algorithm may be used for
assigning at most four different frequencies for any GSM mobile phone network.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/chromatic-number
