Petersen graph

noun

An undirected graph with 10 vertices and 15 edges, serving as a simple example and counterexample for many problems in graph theory.

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Meanings

nounPetersen graph (plural Petersen graphs)

plural Petersen graphs

  1. graph theoryAn undirected graph with 10 vertices and 15 edges, serving as a simple example and counterexample for many problems in graph theory.

Origin

Named after Julius Petersen, who in 1898 constructed it to be the smallest bridgeless cubic graph with no three-edge-coloring.

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Cite this entry
APA

Petersen graph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Petersen%20graph

MLA

“Petersen graph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Petersen%20graph. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Petersen graph,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Petersen%20graph.

Source: Petersen graph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.