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Complete Bipartite Graph
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CompleteBipartiteGraph

A complete bipartite graph is a bipartite graph (i.e., a set of graph vertices decomposed into two disjoint sets such that no two graph vertices within the same set are adjacent) such that every pair of graph vertices in the two sets are adjacent. If there are p and q graph vertices in the two sets, the complete bipartite graph (sometimes also called a complete bigraph) is denoted K_(p,q). The above figures show K_(3,2) and K_(2,5). K_(3,3) is also known as the utility graph (and the circulant graph Ci_(1,3)(6)), and is the unique 4-cage graph.

CompleteBipartiteCirculantGraphs

A complete bipartite graph K_(n,n) is a circulant graph (Skiena 1990, p. 99), specifically Ci_(1,3,...,2|_n/2_|+1)(n), where |_x_| is the floor function.

K_(4,4) is a Cayley graph.

The numbers of (directed) Hamiltonian circuits for the graph K_(n,n) with n=1, 2, ... are 0, 2, 12, 144, 2880, 86400, 3628800, 203212800, ... (Sloane's A143248), where the nth term for n>1 is given by n!(n-1)! with n! a factorial.

The independence polynomial of K_(n,n) is given by

 I_n(x)=2(x+1)^n-1,

which has recurrence equation

 I_n(x)=(x+2)I_(n-1)(x)-(x+1)I_(n-2)(x).
CompleteBipartite18

The complete bipartite graph K_(18,18) illustrated above plays an important role in the novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1989, p. 473; Skiena 1990, p. 143).

SEE ALSO: Bipartite Graph, Cage Graph, Cocktail Party Graph, Complete Graph, Complete k-Partite Graph, Complete Tripartite Graph, Crown Graph, k-Partite Graph, Thomassen Graphs, Utility Graph

REFERENCES:

Eco, U. Foucault's Pendulum. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, p. 473, 1989.

Saaty, T. L. and Kainen, P. C. The Four-Color Problem: Assaults and Conquest. New York: Dover, p. 12, 1986.

Skiena, S. Implementing Discrete Mathematics: Combinatorics and Graph Theory with Mathematica. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1990.

Sloane, N. J. A. Sequence A143248 in "The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences."




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Weisstein, Eric W. "Complete Bipartite Graph." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CompleteBipartiteGraph.html

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