A graph is planar if it can be drawn in a plane without graph edges crossing (i.e., it has graph
crossing number 0). The number of planar graphs with , 2, ... nodes are 1, 2, 4, 11, 33, 142, 822, 6966, 79853,
... (OEIS A005470; Wilson 1975, p. 162),
the first few of which are illustrated above.
The corresponding numbers of planar connected graphs are 1, 1, 1, 2, 6, 20, 99, 646, 5974, 71885, ... (OEIS A003094;
Steinbach 1990, p. 131)
There appears to be no term in standard use for a graph with graph crossing number 1. In particular, the terms "almost planar" and "1-planar"
are used in the literature for other concepts (e.g., Karpov 2013). Therfore, in this
work, the term singlecross graph is introduced
for such a graph. A graph with crossing (or rectilinear crossing) number 0 is planar
by definition, a graph with crossing (or rectilinear crossing) number 1 is said to
be singlecross, and a graph with crossing (or
rectilinear crossing) number 2 is said to be doublecross.
Note that while graph planarity is an inherent property of a graph, it is still sometimes possible to draw nonplanar embeddings of planar graphs. For example, the two embeddings
above both correspond to the planar tetrahedral
graph, but while the left embedding is planar, the right embedding is not.
There are a number of efficient algorithms for planarity testing, most of which are based on the
algorithm of Auslander and Parter (1961; Skiena 1990, p. 247). A graph may be
tested for planarity in the Wolfram Language
using the command PlanarGraphQ[g].
Only planar graphs have duals. If a finite simple graph
is planar, then
has at least one vertex degree . If both graph and its graph complement are planar, then has eight or fewer vertices.
Complete graphs are planar only for . The complete
bipartite graph
is nonplanar. More generally, Kuratowski proved in 1930 that a graph is planar iff it does not contain within it any graph that is a graph
expansion of the complete graph or .
A graph with thickness 1 is planar, while a graph with graph thickness 1 or 2 is said to be biplanar. A
nonplanar apex graph is a nonplanar
graph possessing at least one vertex whose removal results in a planar graph.
All trees are planar, as is a cycle graph, grid graph, or wheel
graph. Every planar graph on nine vertices has a nonplanar complement (Battle
et al. 1962; Skiena 1990, p. 250).
The following table gives the numbers of planar graphs having minimal degrees of at least .
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