What is the maximum number of edges in an undirected simple graph with n vertices?
Conditions
- The graph is undirected.
- The graph is simple (no self-loops or multiple edges between the same pair of vertices).
- The graph has n vertices.
Reasoning, step by step
- Identify the number of vertices n.
- Apply the formula for the maximum number of edges: .
- Understand that this corresponds to a complete graph where every pair of vertices is connected by an edge.
Example
For a complete graph with 5 vertices (), the number of edges is . The instructor derives this by summing .
Common misconceptions
- Thinking the maximum number of edges is , which applies to directed graphs.
- Confusing the maximum number of edges in a connected graph with the maximum in a disconnected graph.
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