Ladder graph

Ladder graph

The ladder graph L8.
Vertices 2n
Edges n+2(n-1)
Chromatic number 2
Chromatic index 3 for n>2
2 for n=2
1 for n=1
Properties Unit distance
Hamiltonian
Planar
Bipartite
Notation Ln

In the mathematical field of graph theory, the ladder graph Ln is a planar undirected graph with 2n vertices and n+2(n-1) edges.[1]

The ladder graph can be obtained as the Cartesian product of two path graphs, one of which has only one edge: Ln,1 = Pn × P1.[2][3] Adding two more crossed edges connecting the four degree-two vertices of a ladder graph produces a cubic graph, the Möbius ladder.

By construction, the ladder graph Ln is isomorphic to the grid graph G2,n and looks like a ladder with n rungs. It is Hamiltonian with girth 4 (if n>1) and chromatic index 3 (if n>2).

The chromatic number of the ladder graph is 2 and its chromatic polynomial is (x-1)x(x^2-3x%2B3)^{(n-1)}.

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Weisstein, Eric W., "Ladder Graph" from MathWorld.
  2. ^ Hosoya, H. and Harary, F. "On the Matching Properties of Three Fence Graphs." J. Math. Chem. 12, 211-218, 1993.
  3. ^ Noy, M. and Ribó, A. "Recursively Constructible Families of Graphs." Adv. Appl. Math. 32, 350-363, 2004.