Question

Difficulty: MediumTransportation Modes and Network Connectivity

A regional transport planning board mapped a single continuous railway network (p=1p = 1) connecting 1515 key industrial towns (v=15v = 15) with 2222 direct rail tracks (e=22e = 22). What is the cyclomatic number (CC) of this transport network?

Answer: 8

Answer

The cyclomatic number of the transport network is 8.
The cyclomatic number (CC) measures structural redundancy and closed loops within a graph network using the standard topological equation C=ev+pC = e - v + p. Substituting e=22e = 22, v=15v = 15, and p=1p = 1 gives 2215+1=822 - 15 + 1 = 8, representing 88 independent loops in the network.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify given network variables from the problem stem
e=22e = 22 (edges/tracks), v=15v = 15 (vertices/towns), p=1p = 1 (connected component)
Topological indices require accurate counting of fundamental structural elements.
2
Apply the formula for the cyclomatic number
C=ev+pC = e - v + p
The cyclomatic number measures the number of fundamental circuits or redundant loops in a transport graph.
3
Compute the quantitative value
C=2215+1=8C = 22 - 15 + 1 = 8
Subtracting vertices from edges and adding the component count yields the exact number of independent loops.

Key Concept

Cyclomatic Number in Transport Network Analysis
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