An overview on network diagrams: Graph-based representation

Graph theory is an important area in mathematics. A network is a graph-based representation which represents a problem as a graph to provide a different point of view to the problem. A problem is much simpler when it is represented as a graph since it can provide the appropriate tools for solving the problem. Hence, graph or network acts as an excellence modeling tool in representing several fundamental issues in network such as connectivity, routing, data gathering, mobility, topology control, traffic analysis, finding shortest path and load balancing. In this regard, this paper first presents concepts of graph theory and their associated applications in various networking field. Subsequently, relevant applications of graph-based representation in technological fields are focused and discussed.