The Historical Development Of Graph Theory

Graph theory is a mathematics branch with a long history and has developed rapidly in recent years. Graph theory and its extensive application in many fields draw more and more attention from mathamatics field and other scientific field. Based on the collection and reorganization of historical data on the development of Graph theory,this thesis focuses on the contribution made by some mathematicians and makes a comprehensive analysis and research of historical development of Graph thought in time order.Main outcome is as follows:Firstly, the budding phase of Graph theory and the mathematics thoughts it implicates are elaborated in this thesis. Graph thought originates from some scholars’ work of solution of some ancient mathematicis game problems among the people from seventeenth to eighteenth century and from their respective research work. However the scholars studied them just as games and scientific problems then and didn’t realize the new mathematics thoughts implicated in their research work and its significance so that they failed to make a further investigation of Graph as an independent concept.Secondly, the early development of Graph theory and prominent achievement distinguished mathematicians made and their mathematics thoughts are probed into. In the process of researching many mathematics probelems led by Four-color problem which was said to baffle the superior mathematicians in the world for150years, mathematicians introduced many concepts and methods from different fileds such as topology and modem mathematics and made great contribution to further development of Graph theory which caused several thoughts reforms.Thirdly, the formation of Graph theory as a subject and its further development are detailed studied. After the subject of Graph theory was formed, a large number of mathematicians who showed intense curiosity of Graph theory emerged under the influence of Konig and they made great contribution to its development in their own research fields. The development process of Graph theory can be clearly found out from their work. Fourthly, the spread and development of Graph theory in our country is briefly introduced. Mathmaticians in our country began to study Graph theory not early. Professor Li Xiumu,as the first person to notice Graph theory,translates some relevant works on Graph theory and compiles textbooks on it independently so that he introduced Graph theory systematicly into our country. In this thesis, detailed information of several mathmaticians who played important roles in the spread and development of Graph theory in our country was specially arranged, which could serve as references to those learners who are interested in this aspect.Fifth, the rapid development and extensive application of Graph theory is introduced. In this part, many mathematician branches evolved from Graph theory are generally introduced and the bright prospects of its rapid development and extensive application in the aspects of natural science, social science, transportaion and so on.This theis aims to sort out the remarkable achievement in the development process of Graph theory through the study of its origin and development, which could provide study materials for Graph theory lovers and serve as refernce for mathematics teachers in colleges in the teaching and study of Graph theory.