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4 - Operator Graph Theory: The Mathematics of Finite Networks

from Part I - Operator Graph Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2022

Michael Rudolph
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Tours
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Summary

Over the course of three centuries, the field of graph theory has matured from its initial conception as an abstract model for solving a rather specific mathematical problem into a powerful vessel for describing countless real-world phenomena, with applications now reaching far beyond applied mathematics. However, its static formalisation puts a number of limitations in place which hamper an advantageous utilisation of graph-theoretical concepts in circumstances which require a more dynamical perspective. Is it possible to overcome these limitations by challenging the classical notion of a graph? In this chapter, we will propose exactly such a challenge by considering a graph’s nodes and their relations as the result of operations performed on a set of suitable objects. This subtle yet consequential change in the conception of a graph not only delivers a more dynamic vantage point, but eventually generalises the very notion of a graph by structurally equating it with an abstract algebra. This chapter will introduce the basic notions and formalisations of an operator graph-theoretical framework and candidly argue for its potential merits and usefulness.

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The Mathematics of Finite Networks
An Introduction to Operator Graph Theory
, pp. 117 - 178
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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