Early graph theory
Early graph theory
The origins of graph theory are humble, even frivolous. Whereas many branches of mathematics were motivated by fundamental problems of calculation, motion, and measurement, the problems which led to the development of graph theory were often little more than puzzles, designed to test the ingenuity rather than to stimulate the imagination. But despite the apparent triviality of such puzzles, they captured the interest of mathematicians, with the result that graph theory has become a subject rich in theoretical results of a surprising variety and depth. So begins the book Graph Theory 1736–1936 [3], which chronicles the history of graph theory from Euler’s treatment of the Königsberg bridges problem in the 1730s to the explosion of activity in the area in the 20th century. This chapter, and Chapter 14, presents the story.
Keywords: graph theory, Euler, Kösberg bridges problem, 20th century
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .