Why can the complete graph K5 be embedded on a torus?
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In the Question Which complete graphs can be embedded on a torus? the poster says, that the complete graph $K_5$ can be embedded on a torus.
But the Euler characteristic of the torus is 0 and the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is 2. Shouldn't they be the same if $K_5$ can be embedded on the torus?
general-topology graph-theory planar-graph
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show 1 more comment
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In the Question Which complete graphs can be embedded on a torus? the poster says, that the complete graph $K_5$ can be embedded on a torus.
But the Euler characteristic of the torus is 0 and the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is 2. Shouldn't they be the same if $K_5$ can be embedded on the torus?
general-topology graph-theory planar-graph
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Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
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– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
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But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
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– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
1
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@coffeemath sorry i met K5
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– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
5
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You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
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– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
1
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bing.com/images/…
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– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
In the Question Which complete graphs can be embedded on a torus? the poster says, that the complete graph $K_5$ can be embedded on a torus.
But the Euler characteristic of the torus is 0 and the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is 2. Shouldn't they be the same if $K_5$ can be embedded on the torus?
general-topology graph-theory planar-graph
$endgroup$
In the Question Which complete graphs can be embedded on a torus? the poster says, that the complete graph $K_5$ can be embedded on a torus.
But the Euler characteristic of the torus is 0 and the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is 2. Shouldn't they be the same if $K_5$ can be embedded on the torus?
general-topology graph-theory planar-graph
general-topology graph-theory planar-graph
edited Dec 6 '18 at 13:39
gt6989b
33.9k22455
33.9k22455
asked Dec 6 '18 at 13:16
ipponippon
1345
1345
$begingroup$
Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
$endgroup$
– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
$begingroup$
But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
1
$begingroup$
@coffeemath sorry i met K5
$endgroup$
– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
5
$begingroup$
You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
1
$begingroup$
bing.com/images/…
$endgroup$
– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
$endgroup$
– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
$begingroup$
But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
1
$begingroup$
@coffeemath sorry i met K5
$endgroup$
– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
5
$begingroup$
You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
1
$begingroup$
bing.com/images/…
$endgroup$
– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24
$begingroup$
Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
$endgroup$
– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
$begingroup$
Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
$endgroup$
– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
$begingroup$
But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
$begingroup$
But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
1
1
$begingroup$
@coffeemath sorry i met K5
$endgroup$
– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
$begingroup$
@coffeemath sorry i met K5
$endgroup$
– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
5
5
$begingroup$
You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
$begingroup$
You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
1
1
$begingroup$
bing.com/images/…
$endgroup$
– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24
$begingroup$
bing.com/images/…
$endgroup$
– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24
|
show 1 more comment
1 Answer
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The Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is not $2$. A graph does not have an Euler characteristic.
A graph can have genus, which is the minimum genus of any orientable surface it can be embedded in; since $K_5$ can be embedded in a torus, which has genus $1$, we know that $K_5$ has genus at most $1$. (Since $K_5$ is not planar, we know it does not have genus $0$, therefore it has genus exactly $1$.)
For orientable surfaces, the genus $g$ and the Euler characteristic $chi$ are related by $chi = 2-2g$, so if you wanted to, you could define the Euler characteristic of a graph by this formula. This is not commonly done. By this definition, the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ would be $0$ - the same as that of the torus.
An equivalent way to phrase this definition would be that the Euler characteristic of a graph is the maximum Euler characteristic of any orientable surface it can be embedded into. So we'd conclude that whenever a graph is embedded in an orientable surface, its Euler characteristic must be less than or equal to that of the surface, and that's true here, so we're fine.
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I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
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– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
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@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
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– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
The Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is not $2$. A graph does not have an Euler characteristic.
A graph can have genus, which is the minimum genus of any orientable surface it can be embedded in; since $K_5$ can be embedded in a torus, which has genus $1$, we know that $K_5$ has genus at most $1$. (Since $K_5$ is not planar, we know it does not have genus $0$, therefore it has genus exactly $1$.)
For orientable surfaces, the genus $g$ and the Euler characteristic $chi$ are related by $chi = 2-2g$, so if you wanted to, you could define the Euler characteristic of a graph by this formula. This is not commonly done. By this definition, the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ would be $0$ - the same as that of the torus.
An equivalent way to phrase this definition would be that the Euler characteristic of a graph is the maximum Euler characteristic of any orientable surface it can be embedded into. So we'd conclude that whenever a graph is embedded in an orientable surface, its Euler characteristic must be less than or equal to that of the surface, and that's true here, so we're fine.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is not $2$. A graph does not have an Euler characteristic.
A graph can have genus, which is the minimum genus of any orientable surface it can be embedded in; since $K_5$ can be embedded in a torus, which has genus $1$, we know that $K_5$ has genus at most $1$. (Since $K_5$ is not planar, we know it does not have genus $0$, therefore it has genus exactly $1$.)
For orientable surfaces, the genus $g$ and the Euler characteristic $chi$ are related by $chi = 2-2g$, so if you wanted to, you could define the Euler characteristic of a graph by this formula. This is not commonly done. By this definition, the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ would be $0$ - the same as that of the torus.
An equivalent way to phrase this definition would be that the Euler characteristic of a graph is the maximum Euler characteristic of any orientable surface it can be embedded into. So we'd conclude that whenever a graph is embedded in an orientable surface, its Euler characteristic must be less than or equal to that of the surface, and that's true here, so we're fine.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is not $2$. A graph does not have an Euler characteristic.
A graph can have genus, which is the minimum genus of any orientable surface it can be embedded in; since $K_5$ can be embedded in a torus, which has genus $1$, we know that $K_5$ has genus at most $1$. (Since $K_5$ is not planar, we know it does not have genus $0$, therefore it has genus exactly $1$.)
For orientable surfaces, the genus $g$ and the Euler characteristic $chi$ are related by $chi = 2-2g$, so if you wanted to, you could define the Euler characteristic of a graph by this formula. This is not commonly done. By this definition, the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ would be $0$ - the same as that of the torus.
An equivalent way to phrase this definition would be that the Euler characteristic of a graph is the maximum Euler characteristic of any orientable surface it can be embedded into. So we'd conclude that whenever a graph is embedded in an orientable surface, its Euler characteristic must be less than or equal to that of the surface, and that's true here, so we're fine.
$endgroup$
The Euler characteristic of $K_5$ is not $2$. A graph does not have an Euler characteristic.
A graph can have genus, which is the minimum genus of any orientable surface it can be embedded in; since $K_5$ can be embedded in a torus, which has genus $1$, we know that $K_5$ has genus at most $1$. (Since $K_5$ is not planar, we know it does not have genus $0$, therefore it has genus exactly $1$.)
For orientable surfaces, the genus $g$ and the Euler characteristic $chi$ are related by $chi = 2-2g$, so if you wanted to, you could define the Euler characteristic of a graph by this formula. This is not commonly done. By this definition, the Euler characteristic of $K_5$ would be $0$ - the same as that of the torus.
An equivalent way to phrase this definition would be that the Euler characteristic of a graph is the maximum Euler characteristic of any orientable surface it can be embedded into. So we'd conclude that whenever a graph is embedded in an orientable surface, its Euler characteristic must be less than or equal to that of the surface, and that's true here, so we're fine.
answered Dec 6 '18 at 19:21
Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov
45.9k656107
45.9k656107
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
I seem to recall seeing a very nice picture in a book (in some bygone millennium) of a map on a torus with $7$ regions, each colored with a different color, and each bordering all the others.
$endgroup$
– bof
Dec 7 '18 at 0:10
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
$begingroup$
@bof I think even more impressive than that is the Szilassi polyhedron: topologically a torus, it has seven hexagonal sides, and any two sides have an edge in common. (So its dual graph gives an embedding of $K_7$ in the torus.)
$endgroup$
– Misha Lavrov
Dec 7 '18 at 0:15
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Have you read the comments on the linked question? This is explained in detail there.
$endgroup$
– saulspatz
Dec 6 '18 at 13:20
$begingroup$
But $K_4$ is planar, so clearly embeds in torus. Do you mean $K_5$ ?
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:23
1
$begingroup$
@coffeemath sorry i met K5
$endgroup$
– ippon
Dec 6 '18 at 13:27
5
$begingroup$
You can draw $K_5$ in the plane using only one crossing. But then that crossing can go through the torus' hole.
$endgroup$
– coffeemath
Dec 6 '18 at 13:29
1
$begingroup$
bing.com/images/…
$endgroup$
– nafhgood
Dec 6 '18 at 17:24