= Disconnectivity graph
A <disconnectivity graph> summarizes how local minima of an <energy landscape> become connected as the allowed maximum <energy> increases. Each terminal branch represents a basin around a local minimum. Two branches merge at the lowest threshold for which a permitted path joins their basins without exceeding that threshold. Vertical height therefore carries barrier information; horizontal spacing is usually chosen for readability.
For example, two low-energy states may sit at similar <energies> but merge only high in the graph, indicating a difficult transition between them. A cluster of branches merging low down instead suggests easy rearrangement within that group. The graph is useful for separating energetic preference from kinetic accessibility in <thermal activation>. It does not determine transition rates by itself: the allowed dynamics, path widths and kinetic prefactors remain necessary. Changing the permitted moves changes which paths exist and can therefore change the graph.
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