Data Structure Lecture Note (Week 5, Lecture 14)

Directed Graph

A directed graph G = (V, E) is a graph such that E is not necessarily symmetric.

Topological Sorting

We want to figure out an ordering < of vertices such that:

If A < B, then A can reach B by a path but B can’t reach A by a path.

If such an ordering exists, the directed graph G can be topologically sorted. [If 1<–>2, then the graph can’t be topologically sorted(in this version of def)]

1. Can we tell if a graph can be topologically sorted?
2. If yes, how can we find a way?

Acyclic Graph

if there if no path in the graph such that the path form a cycle

Property: A directed graph G can be topologically sorted if and only if the graph is an acyclic graph

“if”: we will design an algorithm to do it.

“only if”: by the def, then for any pair (a,b) of vertices, we cannot have both a can get to b by a path, and b can get to a by a path. [just by definition, then this direction of proof is done]

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We can then define:

• sinks (maxima) as out-degree 0 vertices
• sources (minima) as in-degree 0 vertices
• Sinks and sources are not necessarily unique

0. Let S = V
1. Start from a source vertex v in S with only edges going out
2. Remove v out of S, and remove the edges related to v out of E, and repeat 1 until S is empty. The order of removal of v is a valid topological sort of the vertices V

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Claim: If ∀