graph theory

[ graf theer-ee, thee-uh-ree ]

noun

1. Mathematics. the study and analysis of the points and lines with which graphs create representations of mathematical relationships.
2. Computers. the representation of data using nonhierarchical structures based on nodes and the connections between them, utilized by many programming languages and algorithms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of graph theory¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The study, directed by Illinois materials science and engineering professor Qian Chen and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Ying Li, is the first to integrate materials science and a mathematical concept called graph theory to help image and map out the random placement of these voids within filtration materials.

From Science Daily

"But the irregularity we observed in our study pushed us to use graph theory, which gives us a mathematical way to describe this heterogeneous and messy -- but practical -- material."

From Science Daily

Graph theory helped the team finally gain a more holistic understanding of the filter membrane structure, which led them to discover a strong correlation between the unique physical and mechanical properties of random empty space and improved filtration performance.

From Science Daily

They analyzed the multimodal MRI data using information and graph theory, and Griffa says that it is this novel combination of methods that yielded fresh insights.

From Science Daily

Olaf Sporns, PhD, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU Bloomington, has previously published papers about network neuroscience, an approach for monitoring disease progression using graph theory and medical imaging -- MRI and PET -- to map, record, analyze and model the elements and interactions of neurobiological systems in humans.

From Science Daily