(closed) walk / trek / trail / path


Graph theoryMathworldPlanetmath terminology is notoriously variable so the following definitions should be used with caution. In books, most authors define their usage at the beginning.

In a graph, multigraphMathworldPlanetmath or even pseudographMathworldPlanetmath G,

  • a walk of length s is formed by a sequence of s edges such that any two successive edges in the sequence share a vertex (aka node). The walk is also considered to include all the vertices (nodes) incidentPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmath to those edges, making it a subgraphMathworldPlanetmath.

    In the case of a simple graph (i.e. not a multigraph) it is also possible to define the walk uniquely by the vertices it visits: a walk of length s is then a sequence of vertices ν0, ν1, … νs such that an edge νiνi+1 exists for all 0i<s. Again the walk is considered to contain those edges as well as the vertices.

  • A trek is a walk that does not backtrack, i.e. no two successive edges are the same.

    For simple graphs this also implies νiνi+2 for all 0is-2.

  • A trail is a walk where all edges are distinct, and

  • a path is one where all vertices are distinct.

The walk, etc. is said to run from ν0 to νs, to run between them, to connect them etc. The term trek was introduced by Cameron [Cam94] who notes the lexicographic mnemonic

𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑘𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑠

The other terms are fairly widespread, cf. [Wil02], but beware: many authors call walks paths, and some then call paths chains. And when edges are called arcs, a trek of length s sometimes goes by the name s-arc.

Note that for the purpose of defining connectivity any of these types of wanderings can be used; if a walk exists between vertices μ and ν then there also exists a path between them. And here we must allow s=0 to make “are connectedPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmath by a path” an equivalence relationMathworldPlanetmath on vertices (in order to define connected componentsMathworldPlanetmathPlanetmath as its equivalence classesMathworldPlanetmath).

  • A closed walk aka circuit of length s0 is a walk where ν0=νs,

  • a closed trek is a trek that’s closed in the same way, and

  • a closed trail likewise;

  • a closed path aka (elementary) cycle is like a path (except that we only demand that νi for 0i<s are distinct) and again closed (νs again coincides with ν0).

Beware: cycles are often called circuits [Cam94]; the distinction between circuits and cycles here follows Wilson [Wil02]. These closed wanderings are often called after their length: s-circuits, s-cycles.

The case s=0 is excluded from these definitions; 1-cycles are loops so imply a pseudograph; 2-cycles are double edges implying multigraphs; so 3 is the minimum cycle length in a proper graph.

Note also that in trivalent aka cubic graphsMathworldPlanetmath a closed trail is automatically a closed path: it is impossible to visit a vertex (in via edge a, out via edge b say) and visit it again (in via c, out via d) without also revisiting an edge, because there are only three edges at each vertex.

  • An open walk, open trek, open trail is one that isn’t closed.

  • An open path (sometimes open chain) is just a path as defined above (because a closed path isn’t actually a path). Still, the term is useful when you want to emphasise the contrast with a closed path.

References

  • 1
  • Cam94 Peter J. Cameron, Combinatorics: topics, techniques, algorithms
    Camb. Univ. Pr. 1994, ISBN  0 521 45761 0,
    http://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/ pjc/comb/http://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/ pjc/comb/ (solutions, errata &c.)
  • Wil02 Robert A. Wilson, Graphs, Colourings and the Four-colour Theorem,
    Oxford Univ. Pr. 2002, ISBN  0 19 851062 4 (pbk),
    http://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/ raw/graph.htmlhttp://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/ raw/graph.html (errata &c.)
Title (closed) walk / trek / trail / path
Canonical name closedWalkTrekTrailPath
Date of creation 2013-03-22 15:09:50
Last modified on 2013-03-22 15:09:50
Owner marijke (8873)
Last modified by marijke (8873)
Numerical id 9
Author marijke (8873)
Entry type Definition
Classification msc 05C38
Related topic Path2
Related topic ConnectedGraph
Related topic KConnectedGraph
Related topic Diameter3
Defines walk
Defines trek
Defines trail
Defines path
Defines chain
Defines circuit
Defines cycle
Defines closed walk
Defines closed trek
Defines closed trail
Defines closed path
Defines closed chain
Defines open walk
Defines open trek
Defines open trail
Defines open path
Defines open chain
Defines s-arc
Defines s-cycle
Defines elementary cycle
Defines s-circuit