Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ii Paper 3 17F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The Euler formula for a connected planar graph follows by induction on the number of cycle edges. If is a tree, then and , so . Otherwise remove an edge belonging to a cycle. The graph remains connected, while the two faces adjoining that edge merge: both and decrease by one. Thus is unchanged, and induction reaches a tree.
Every edge borders two face sides, so the sum of the face sizes is . If every face has size at least , thenSubstitute from Euler's formula:and hence the planar girth edge bound