Which one of the following graphs is NOT planar?
2005
Which one of the following graphs is NOT planar?
- A.
G1
- B.
G2
- C.
G3
- D.
G4
Attempted by 232 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: G1 is not planar.
Key idea: A graph is nonplanar if it contains a subdivision of K5 or K3,3 (Kuratowski's theorem).
Reason G1 is nonplanar:
G1 is isomorphic to the complete bipartite graph with partitions of size 3 (K3,3).
K3,3 is nonplanar by Kuratowski's theorem, so any graph containing it (or a subdivision of it) is nonplanar.
Alternative quick check: For triangle-free planar graphs the inequality e ≤ 2v − 4 holds. G1 has v = 6 and e = 9, but 9 > 2·6 − 4 = 8, so G1 cannot be planar.
Why the others are planar (brief):
G2: does not contain K5 or K3,3 subdivisions and can be drawn without crossings (a plane embedding exists).
G3: outerplanar (all vertices can be placed on a circle and edges drawn inside without crossings), so it is planar.
G4: although relatively dense, it contains no subdivision of K5 or K3,3 and admits a plane embedding.
Conclusion: G1 is the only nonplanar graph among the choices because it contains K3,3 (or fails the triangle-free planar edge bound).
A video solution is available for this question — log in and enroll to watch it.