The Fascinating World of Graph Theory

For the most part, this is a very well written book. There are a few rough spots here and there, e.g., the explanation of the Instant Insanity puzzle was not understandable (please remove this from the next edition of the book).The problems are interesting, with some being very hard. It would help to give the reader some sense of the problem difficultly, e.g., by putting the more difficult problems towards the end of each problem set (rather than mixing them with easy problems). There are no hints or solutions to the problems (that would help a lot).All and all, a good book.

I got this for my wife who understands this stuff....she likes it.

Good but I keep looking for a book that is less focused on theory (theorems, proofs, etc) and more on application.

It's a good book. Not 5 star good, but I would buy it again. It's good enough to implement algorithms from.

Are you a theoretical mathematician? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Arthur Benjamin, Gary Chartrand and Ping Zhang, have written an outstanding book that introduces you to one of the many remarkable areas of mathematics: Graph Theory.The authors begin with some curious problems--all of which can be looked at mathematically by means of the main concept of this book: graphs. Next, they discuss theorems from many areas of mathematics that have bee judged among the most beautiful. Then, the authors describe the most fundamental property that a graph can possess, by dealing with the idea that within the graph, travel is possible between every two locations. Also, the authors provide the simplest structure that a connected graph can possess, leading the reader to the class graphs called trees, because they often look like trees. They then doodle with a well-known problem: The Chinese Postman Problem, which deals with minimizing the length of a round trip that a letter carrier might take. Then, the authors discuss a class of graphs named for a famous physicist and mathematician of the nineteenth century: Sir William Rowan Hamilton. In addition, through graph theory, they explain how different types of scheduling are possible. Also, the authors then explain problems of whether a graph can be divided into certain other kinds of graphs, primarily cycles. They then discuss how various voting techniques can result in often surprising outcomes. Next, the authors continue by looking at interesting problems that can be drawn in the plane without any of their edges crossing. Then, they discuss the Four Color Problem: Famous not only for the length of time it took to solve, but for the controversial method that is used to solve it. Finally, the authors conclude with a curious theorem called Road Coloring Theorem, which tells us that in certain traffic systems consisting only of one-way streets in which the same number of roads leave each location, roads can be colored so that directions can be given to arrive at some destination, regardless of the location where the traveler presently resides.This excellent book introduces you to a subject to which you may have had little or no exposure: The field of graph theory. Among the many things discussed in this great book, is how often a rather curious problem or question can lead not only to a mathematical solution, but to an entire topic in mathematics.

Was not what the title led me to think it was. It is network theory.