How to construct a graph with girth = twice the diameter + 1

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SUMMARY

The theorem states that for any graph G containing a cycle, the girth g(G) is less than or equal to twice the diameter diam(G) plus one, expressed as g(G) ≤ 2diam(G) + 1. The proof involves analyzing the shortest cycle C in G and demonstrating that if g(G) exceeds this bound, it leads to a contradiction regarding the distances between vertices. The discussion highlights the importance of correctly defining the diameter of a graph to avoid confusion in understanding this theorem.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of graph theory concepts, specifically cycles and girth.
  • Knowledge of graph diameter and eccentricity.
  • Familiarity with proof techniques in mathematics, particularly proof by contradiction.
  • Basic graph drawing skills to visualize concepts.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the properties of graph girth and diameter in more detail.
  • Explore proof techniques in graph theory, focusing on contradiction proofs.
  • Learn about shortest paths and cycles in graphs using algorithms like Dijkstra's or Floyd-Warshall.
  • Investigate specific examples of graphs that illustrate the theorem's conditions.
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, computer scientists, and students studying graph theory, particularly those interested in properties of cycles and diameters in graphs.

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Homework Statement


I am trying to verify this theorem for myself.
Theorem: Every graph G containing a cycle satisfies g(G)≤2diam(G)+1

Homework Equations


N/A

The Attempt at a Solution


i have drawn graphs and i failed to verify the theorem. is it even possible, since increasing the girth directly increases the diameter of the graph...?

However the theorem has a proof.

Proof: Let C be a shortest cycle in G. If g(G)>= 2diam(G) + 2, then C has two vertices whose distance in C is at least diam(G)+1. In G, these vertices have a lesser distance; any shortest path P between them is therefore not a subgraph of C. Thus, P contains a C-path xPy. Together with the shorter of the two x-y paths in C, this path xPy forms a shorter cycle than C, a contradiction.
 
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This seems kind of obvious.

Let the maximum eccentricity (diameter) be ## D## and the length of the shortest cycle be ## L##. Assume, for a contradiction, a finite graph ## G## is picked such that ##L>2D+1 ##. Then the graph ## G## contains two vertices with a distance of at least ##2D+1 ##, an immediate contradiction. Do you understand what the contradiction is?
 
nuuskur said:
This seems kind of obvious.

Let the maximal eccentricity (diameter) be ## D## and the length of the shortest cycle be ## L##. Assume, for a contradiction, a finite graph ## G## is picked such that ##L>2D+1 ##. Then the graph ## G## contains two vertices with a distance of at least ##2D+1 ##, an immediate contradiction. Do you understand what the contradiction is?
sorry for that, my book did not define diameter correctly which lead to my confusion.
 

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