Algorithms For Dummies

Showing the social side of graphs

Graphs have social implications because they often reflect relationships between 

people in various settings. One of the most obvious uses of graphs is the 

organizational  chart.  Think  about  it.  Each  node  is  a  different  person  in  the 

organization, with edges connecting the nodes to show the various relationships 

between individuals. The same holds true for all sorts of graphs, such as those 

that  show  family  history.  However,  in  the  first  case,  the  graph  is  undirected 

because  communication  flows  both  ways  between  managers  and  subordinates 

(although the nature of the conversation differs based on direction). In the second 

---

160

 

   

  PART 3