graph theory

[ graf theer-ee, thee-uh-ree ]

noun

1. Mathematics. the study and analysis of the points and lines with which graphs create representations of mathematical relationships.
2. Computers. the representation of data using nonhierarchical structures based on nodes and the connections between them, utilized by many programming languages and algorithms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of graph theory¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Currently he’s using graph theory, machine learning, and other techniques to try to build more accurate models of real-world traffic in Doha, Qatar, and other cities.

From MIT Technology Review

It also has direct and crucial implications for a branch of mathematics known as graph theory.

From Quanta Magazine

The team wasn’t interested in just any counterexample — they sought the smallest possible one, which is a common tactic in graph theory, Spirkl said.

From Quanta Magazine

The problem was well known in graph theory circles and attracted many attempts to solve it, none of which were successful.

From Quanta Magazine

Also early in his life, Lovász met the influential Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős, who helped introduce him to the field of graph theory.

From Quanta Magazine