The very word graph is a most confusing term. In fact, most of the special terminolory of graph theory consists of familiar words that have special meaning in the context of graphs. The concept of a graph is very simple to grasp, yet these mathematical objects are extremely varied. The specialized vocabulary for talking about graphs is most useful for trying to describe the various graphs and their properties. .
Graphs are useful for modeling a wide variety of real-world situations .
Of course you can learn about graphs and their properties by studying them, but a much easier way to begin to understand them is by playing games . Sometimes graphs are called networks , and a glance at pictures of them will show you why. The graphs of Graph Theory are not the same as the graphs which are used to plot or chart statistical information. The potential for confusion between these two very different kinds of objects that have the same name is unfortunate. When mathematicians talk about graphs, it is always clear from the context which type of graph they are considering.