Directed Graph

Definition

A directed graph (or digraph) is a Graph in which edges are ordered pairs of nodes. Each edge has a source node and a target node, establishing a direction from one to the other.

In a directed graph $G=(V,E)$, the edge set $E$ consists of ordered pairs $(u,v)$ where $u,v\in V$.

Properties

• Edges have direction, typically represented by arrows in visualizations.
• An edge $(u,v)$ is distinct from $(v,u)$.
• The outgoing edges from a node are those edges that start at that node.
• The incoming edges to a node are those edges that end at that node.

Related Concepts

• Undirected Graph: A graph where edges have no direction.
• Directed Acyclic Graph: A directed graph with no cycles.
• Graph: The general structure of which directed graphs are a special case.