Which one of the following graphs is NOT planar?

2005

Which one of the following graphs is NOT planar?

GATECS2005Q47

  1. A.

    G1

  2. B.

    G2

  3. C.

    G3

  4. 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.

Explore the full course: Gate Guidance By Sanchit Sir