Paper 4, Section II, F

Graph Theory
Part II, 2010

State Euler's formula relating the number of vertices, edges and faces in a drawing of a connected planar graph. Deduce that every planar graph has chromatic number at most 5.5 .

Show also that any triangle-free planar graph has chromatic number at most 4 .

Suppose GG is a planar graph which is minimal 5 -chromatic; that is to say, χ(G)=5\chi(G)=5 but if HH is a subgraph of GG with HGH \neq G then χ(H)<5\chi(H)<5. Prove that δ(G)5\delta(G) \geqslant 5. Does this remain true if we drop the assumption that GG is planar? Justify your answer.

[The Four Colour Theorem may not be assumed.]