Explanation for parity difference for # of simple graphs

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
4 replies · 1K views
Mr Davis 97
Messages
1,461
Reaction score
44
http://oeis.org/A000088

This is a list that gives the number of simple graphs on n unlabeled vertices. Could someone conversant in graph theory explain why the number of simple graphs on 4 unlabeled vertices, which is 11, is the only one that seems to be odd (nontrivially), while the rest seem to be even?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Is it possible that they are miscounting in the case n=4, missing an isomorphism between two of the cases?

I ask because I can only find ten cases:

1 case with 0 edges: {}
1 case with 1 edge: {12}
2 cases with 2 edges: {12, 34}, {12,23}
2 cases with 3 edges: {12, 23, 34}, {12, 23, 31}
2 cases with 4 edges: {12, 23, 34, 41}, {12, 23, 31, 14}
1 case with 5 edges: {12, 23, 34, 41, 13}
1 case with 6 edges: {12, 23, 34, 41, 13, 24}

Am I missing one? There are some that look different from the ones listed here, but are isomorphic to one of them. I thought my method was pretty thorough.

Given the impressive-looking list of references on the OEIS page, the weight of evidence suggests I've either missed one, or thought a relationship was isomorphic that wasn't..
 
You missed one case with three edges: 12,13,14

There is a symmetry between n edges and 6-n edges, so 3 is the only part that can lead to an odd result.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: andrewkirk
mfb said:
You missed one case with three edges: 12,13,14

There is a symmetry between n edges and 6-n edges, so 3 is the only part that can lead to an odd result.
What makes the # of graphs on 4 vertices different than than the # of graphs on 5 vertices? For example, why isn't there an odd number of graphs with 5 vertices and 5 edges?
 
I don't know a mathematical argument, but you can still use the pairing for them. It turns out that exactly 2 (an even number) are their own partners.

graphs.png
 

Attachments

  • graphs.png
    graphs.png
    5.1 KB · Views: 434