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Urquhart graph

Urquhart graph is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Urquhart graph rather than just read about it. In short: In computational geometry, the Urquhart graph of a set of points in the plane, named after Roderick B. Urquhart, is obtained by removing the longest edge from each triangle in the Delaunay triangulation.

Urquhart graph — main illustration
Urquhart graph — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Urquhart graph belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Urquhart graph to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Urquhart graph from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computational geometry, the Urquhart graph of a set of points in the plane, named after Roderick B. Urquhart, is obtained by removing the longest edge from each triangle in the Delaunay triangulation. The Urquhart graph was described by Urquhart (1980), who suggested that removing the longest edge from each Delaunay triangle would be a fast way of constructing the relative neighborhood graph (the graph connecting pairs of points p {\displaystyle p} and q {\displaystyle q} when there does not exist any third point r {\displaystyle r} that is closer to both p {\displaystyle p} and q {\displaystyle q} than they are to each other). Since Delaunay triangulations can be constructed in time O ( n log ⁡ n ) {\displaystyle O(n\log n)} , the same time bound holds for the Urquhart graph as well. Although it was later shown that the Urquhart graph is not exactly the same as the relative neighborhood graph, it can be used as a good approximation to it. The problem of constructing relative neighborhood graphs in O ( n log ⁡ n ) {\displaystyle O(n\log n)} time, left open by the mismatch between the Urquhart graph and the relative neighborhood graph, was solved by Supowit (1983). Like the relative neighborhood graph, the Urquhart graph of a set of points in general position contains the Euclidean minimum spanning tree of its points, from which it follows that it is a connected graph.

References

Illustrations

Urquhart graph: Example of Urquhart graph: the (thin cyan) longest edges are removed from each Delaunay triangle.
Example of Urquhart graph: the (thin cyan) longest edges are removed from each Delaunay triangle.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Urquhart graph

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Urquhart graph claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Urquhart graph before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Urquhart graph ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Urquhart graph

In research
Urquhart graph appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Urquhart graph in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Urquhart graph is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computational geometry, Geometric graphs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Urquhart graph outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Urquhart graph in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Urquhart graph means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Urquhart graph out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Urquhart graph in simple terms?

In computational geometry, the Urquhart graph of a set of points in the plane, named after Roderick B. Urquhart, is obtained by removing the longest edge from each triangle in the Delaunay triangulation.

Why does Urquhart graph matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Urquhart graph?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Urquhart graph.

Tags

  • Computational geometry
  • Geometric graphs

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