Author: Robert A. Wilson
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019158360X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
The four-colour theorem is one of the famous problems of mathematics, that frustrated generations of mathematicians from its birth in 1852 to its solution (using substantial assistance from electronic computers) in 1976. The theorem asks whether four colours are sufficient to colour all conceivable maps, in such a way that countries with a common border are coloured with different colours. The book discusses various attempts to solve this problem, and some of the mathematics which developed out of these attempts. Much of this mathematics has developed a life of its own, and forms a fascinating part of the subject now known as graph theory. The book is designed to be self-contained, and develops all the graph-theoretical tools needed as it goes along. It includes all the elementary graph theory that should be included in an introduction to the subject, before concentrating on specific topics relevant to the four-colour problem. Part I covers basic graph theory, Euler's polyhedral formula, and the first published false `proof' of the four-colour theorem. Part II ranges widely through related topics, including map-colouring on surfaces with holes, the famous theorems of Kuratowski, Vizing, and Brooks, the conjectures of Hadwiger and Hajos, and much more besides. In Part III we return to the four-colour theorem, and study in detail the methods which finally cracked the problem.
Graphs, Colourings and the Four-Colour Theorem
Author: Robert A. Wilson
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019158360X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
The four-colour theorem is one of the famous problems of mathematics, that frustrated generations of mathematicians from its birth in 1852 to its solution (using substantial assistance from electronic computers) in 1976. The theorem asks whether four colours are sufficient to colour all conceivable maps, in such a way that countries with a common border are coloured with different colours. The book discusses various attempts to solve this problem, and some of the mathematics which developed out of these attempts. Much of this mathematics has developed a life of its own, and forms a fascinating part of the subject now known as graph theory. The book is designed to be self-contained, and develops all the graph-theoretical tools needed as it goes along. It includes all the elementary graph theory that should be included in an introduction to the subject, before concentrating on specific topics relevant to the four-colour problem. Part I covers basic graph theory, Euler's polyhedral formula, and the first published false `proof' of the four-colour theorem. Part II ranges widely through related topics, including map-colouring on surfaces with holes, the famous theorems of Kuratowski, Vizing, and Brooks, the conjectures of Hadwiger and Hajos, and much more besides. In Part III we return to the four-colour theorem, and study in detail the methods which finally cracked the problem.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019158360X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
The four-colour theorem is one of the famous problems of mathematics, that frustrated generations of mathematicians from its birth in 1852 to its solution (using substantial assistance from electronic computers) in 1976. The theorem asks whether four colours are sufficient to colour all conceivable maps, in such a way that countries with a common border are coloured with different colours. The book discusses various attempts to solve this problem, and some of the mathematics which developed out of these attempts. Much of this mathematics has developed a life of its own, and forms a fascinating part of the subject now known as graph theory. The book is designed to be self-contained, and develops all the graph-theoretical tools needed as it goes along. It includes all the elementary graph theory that should be included in an introduction to the subject, before concentrating on specific topics relevant to the four-colour problem. Part I covers basic graph theory, Euler's polyhedral formula, and the first published false `proof' of the four-colour theorem. Part II ranges widely through related topics, including map-colouring on surfaces with holes, the famous theorems of Kuratowski, Vizing, and Brooks, the conjectures of Hadwiger and Hajos, and much more besides. In Part III we return to the four-colour theorem, and study in detail the methods which finally cracked the problem.
The Four-Color Theorem
Author: Rudolf Fritsch
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461217202
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
This book discusses a famous problem that helped to define the field now known as topology: What is the minimum number of colors required to print a map so that no two adjoining countries have the same color? This problem remained unsolved until the 1950s, when it was finally cracked using a computer. This book discusses the history and mathematics of the problem, as well as the philosophical debate which ensued, regarding the validity of computer generated proofs.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461217202
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
This book discusses a famous problem that helped to define the field now known as topology: What is the minimum number of colors required to print a map so that no two adjoining countries have the same color? This problem remained unsolved until the 1950s, when it was finally cracked using a computer. This book discusses the history and mathematics of the problem, as well as the philosophical debate which ensued, regarding the validity of computer generated proofs.
Four Colors Suffice
Author: Robin J. Wilson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691120232
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
On October 23, 1852, Professor Augustus De Morgan wrote a letter to a colleague, unaware that he was launching one of the most famous mathematical conundrums in history--one that would confound thousands of puzzlers for more than a century. This is the amazing story of how the "map problem" was solved. The problem posed in the letter came from a former student: What is the least possible number of colors needed to fill in any map (real or invented) so that neighboring counties are always colored differently? This deceptively simple question was of minimal interest to cartographers, who saw little need to limit how many colors they used. But the problem set off a frenzy among professional mathematicians and amateur problem solvers, among them Lewis Carroll, an astronomer, a botanist, an obsessive golfer, the Bishop of London, a man who set his watch only once a year, a California traffic cop, and a bridegroom who spent his honeymoon coloring maps. In their pursuit of the solution, mathematicians painted maps on doughnuts and horseshoes and played with patterned soccer balls and the great rhombicuboctahedron. It would be more than one hundred years (and countless colored maps) later before the result was finally established. Even then, difficult questions remained, and the intricate solution--which involved no fewer than 1,200 hours of computer time--was greeted with as much dismay as enthusiasm. Providing a clear and elegant explanation of the problem and the proof, Robin Wilson tells how a seemingly innocuous question baffled great minds and stimulated exciting mathematics with far-flung applications. This is the entertaining story of those who failed to prove, and those who ultimately did prove, that four colors do indeed suffice to color any map.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691120232
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
On October 23, 1852, Professor Augustus De Morgan wrote a letter to a colleague, unaware that he was launching one of the most famous mathematical conundrums in history--one that would confound thousands of puzzlers for more than a century. This is the amazing story of how the "map problem" was solved. The problem posed in the letter came from a former student: What is the least possible number of colors needed to fill in any map (real or invented) so that neighboring counties are always colored differently? This deceptively simple question was of minimal interest to cartographers, who saw little need to limit how many colors they used. But the problem set off a frenzy among professional mathematicians and amateur problem solvers, among them Lewis Carroll, an astronomer, a botanist, an obsessive golfer, the Bishop of London, a man who set his watch only once a year, a California traffic cop, and a bridegroom who spent his honeymoon coloring maps. In their pursuit of the solution, mathematicians painted maps on doughnuts and horseshoes and played with patterned soccer balls and the great rhombicuboctahedron. It would be more than one hundred years (and countless colored maps) later before the result was finally established. Even then, difficult questions remained, and the intricate solution--which involved no fewer than 1,200 hours of computer time--was greeted with as much dismay as enthusiasm. Providing a clear and elegant explanation of the problem and the proof, Robin Wilson tells how a seemingly innocuous question baffled great minds and stimulated exciting mathematics with far-flung applications. This is the entertaining story of those who failed to prove, and those who ultimately did prove, that four colors do indeed suffice to color any map.
Four Colours Suffice
Author: Robin J. Wilson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
The four-colour problem was one of the most famous and controversial conundrums ever known, and stumped thousands of puzzlers for over a century. It sounded simple- what is the least number of colours needed to fill in any map, so that neighbouring countries are always coloured differently? However, it would take over a hundred years for amateur problem-solvers and mathematicians alike to answer the question first posed by Francis Guthrie in 1852. And, even when a solution was finally found using computers, debate raged over whether this technology could ever provide the proof that traditional pen-and-paper calculations could. This is the gripping story of the race to solve the riddle - a tale of dedicated puzzlers, mind-boggling maps, human ingenuity and the great rhombicuboctahedron
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
The four-colour problem was one of the most famous and controversial conundrums ever known, and stumped thousands of puzzlers for over a century. It sounded simple- what is the least number of colours needed to fill in any map, so that neighbouring countries are always coloured differently? However, it would take over a hundred years for amateur problem-solvers and mathematicians alike to answer the question first posed by Francis Guthrie in 1852. And, even when a solution was finally found using computers, debate raged over whether this technology could ever provide the proof that traditional pen-and-paper calculations could. This is the gripping story of the race to solve the riddle - a tale of dedicated puzzlers, mind-boggling maps, human ingenuity and the great rhombicuboctahedron
Every Planar Map is Four Colorable
Author: Kenneth I. Appel
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 0821851039
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
In this volume, the authors present their 1972 proof of the celebrated Four Color Theorem in a detailed but self-contained exposition accessible to a general mathematical audience. An emended version of the authors' proof of the theorem, the book contains the full text of the supplements and checklists, which originally appeared on microfiche. The thiry-page introduction, intended for nonspecialists, provides some historical background of the theorem and details of the authors' proof. In addition, the authors have added an appendix which treats in much greater detail the argument for situations in which reducible configurations are immersed rather than embedded in triangulations. This result leads to a proof that four coloring can be accomplished in polynomial time.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 0821851039
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
In this volume, the authors present their 1972 proof of the celebrated Four Color Theorem in a detailed but self-contained exposition accessible to a general mathematical audience. An emended version of the authors' proof of the theorem, the book contains the full text of the supplements and checklists, which originally appeared on microfiche. The thiry-page introduction, intended for nonspecialists, provides some historical background of the theorem and details of the authors' proof. In addition, the authors have added an appendix which treats in much greater detail the argument for situations in which reducible configurations are immersed rather than embedded in triangulations. This result leads to a proof that four coloring can be accomplished in polynomial time.
The Four-Color Theorem
Author: Rudolf Fritsch
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780387984971
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
This elegant little book discusses a famous problem that helped to define the field now known as graph theory: what is the minimum number of colors required to print a map such that no two adjoining countries have the same color, no matter how convoluted their boundaries are. Many famous mathematicians have worked on the problem, but the proof eluded formulation until the 1970s, when it was finally cracked with a brute-force approach using a computer. The Four-Color Theorem begins by discussing the history of the problem up to the new approach given in the 1990s (by Neil Robertson, Daniel Sanders, Paul Seymour, and Robin Thomas). The book then goes into the mathematics, with a detailed discussion of how to convert the originally topological problem into a combinatorial one that is both elementary enough that anyone with a basic knowledge of geometry can follow it and also rigorous enough that a mathematician can read it with satisfaction. The authors discuss the mathematics and point to the philosophical debate that ensued when the proof was announced: just what is a mathematical proof, if it takes a computer to provide one - and is such a thing a proof at all?
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780387984971
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
This elegant little book discusses a famous problem that helped to define the field now known as graph theory: what is the minimum number of colors required to print a map such that no two adjoining countries have the same color, no matter how convoluted their boundaries are. Many famous mathematicians have worked on the problem, but the proof eluded formulation until the 1970s, when it was finally cracked with a brute-force approach using a computer. The Four-Color Theorem begins by discussing the history of the problem up to the new approach given in the 1990s (by Neil Robertson, Daniel Sanders, Paul Seymour, and Robin Thomas). The book then goes into the mathematics, with a detailed discussion of how to convert the originally topological problem into a combinatorial one that is both elementary enough that anyone with a basic knowledge of geometry can follow it and also rigorous enough that a mathematician can read it with satisfaction. The authors discuss the mathematics and point to the philosophical debate that ensued when the proof was announced: just what is a mathematical proof, if it takes a computer to provide one - and is such a thing a proof at all?
The Four-color Problem
Author: Thomas L. Saaty
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780486650920
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780486650920
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
Graph Edge Coloring
Author: Michael Stiebitz
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118205561
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 344
Book Description
Features recent advances and new applications in graph edgecoloring Reviewing recent advances in the Edge Coloring Problem, GraphEdge Coloring: Vizing's Theorem and Goldberg's Conjectureprovides an overview of the current state of the science,explaining the interconnections among the results obtained fromimportant graph theory studies. The authors introduce many newimproved proofs of known results to identify and point to possiblesolutions for open problems in edge coloring. The book begins with an introduction to graph theory and theconcept of edge coloring. Subsequent chapters explore importanttopics such as: Use of Tashkinov trees to obtain an asymptotic positive solutionto Goldberg's conjecture Application of Vizing fans to obtain both known and newresults Kierstead paths as an alternative to Vizing fans Classification problem of simple graphs Generalized edge coloring in which a color may appear more thanonce at a vertex This book also features first-time English translations of twogroundbreaking papers written by Vadim Vizing on an estimate of thechromatic class of a p-graph and the critical graphs within a givenchromatic class. Written by leading experts who have reinvigorated research inthe field, Graph Edge Coloring is an excellent book formathematics, optimization, and computer science courses at thegraduate level. The book also serves as a valuable reference forresearchers interested in discrete mathematics, graph theory,operations research, theoretical computer science, andcombinatorial optimization.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118205561
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 344
Book Description
Features recent advances and new applications in graph edgecoloring Reviewing recent advances in the Edge Coloring Problem, GraphEdge Coloring: Vizing's Theorem and Goldberg's Conjectureprovides an overview of the current state of the science,explaining the interconnections among the results obtained fromimportant graph theory studies. The authors introduce many newimproved proofs of known results to identify and point to possiblesolutions for open problems in edge coloring. The book begins with an introduction to graph theory and theconcept of edge coloring. Subsequent chapters explore importanttopics such as: Use of Tashkinov trees to obtain an asymptotic positive solutionto Goldberg's conjecture Application of Vizing fans to obtain both known and newresults Kierstead paths as an alternative to Vizing fans Classification problem of simple graphs Generalized edge coloring in which a color may appear more thanonce at a vertex This book also features first-time English translations of twogroundbreaking papers written by Vadim Vizing on an estimate of thechromatic class of a p-graph and the critical graphs within a givenchromatic class. Written by leading experts who have reinvigorated research inthe field, Graph Edge Coloring is an excellent book formathematics, optimization, and computer science courses at thegraduate level. The book also serves as a valuable reference forresearchers interested in discrete mathematics, graph theory,operations research, theoretical computer science, andcombinatorial optimization.
The Four-Color Problem
Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080873391
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
The Four-Color Problem
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080873391
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
The Four-Color Problem
The Mathematical Coloring Book
Author: Alexander Soifer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387746420
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 619
Book Description
This book provides an exciting history of the discovery of Ramsey Theory, and contains new research along with rare photographs of the mathematicians who developed this theory, including Paul Erdös, B.L. van der Waerden, and Henry Baudet.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387746420
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 619
Book Description
This book provides an exciting history of the discovery of Ramsey Theory, and contains new research along with rare photographs of the mathematicians who developed this theory, including Paul Erdös, B.L. van der Waerden, and Henry Baudet.