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How to colour the US map with Yellow, Green, Red and Blue to minimize the number of states with the colour of Green

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How to colour the US map with Yellow, Green, Red and Blue to minimize the number of states with the colour of Green

7

2

$begingroup$

I want to colour the US (only the states) map with Yellow, Green, Red and Blue. I was wondering what would be the lowest number of states with the colour of Green. We can of course use the other colours as much as we want. Please note that I want to follow the Four Color Theorem rules.

Motivation:
I am studying graph theory and I want to know if there is a way that we could limit the use of the fourth colour as much as possible. This is not a homework problem.

My attempt:
I have tried many variations and can limit it to 6 and it seems like the
minimum possible but there are infinite possibilities to try so I was wondering if there is a simpler method? Thank you in advance.

Clarification:
I am interested in only the mainland of USA. For states like Michigan that are split, I used the same colour for both parts (since they were not connected directly).

graph-theory recreational-mathematics

share|cite|improve this question

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  you would need to agree on a favorite version of the graph. In the actual US, there are islands, states split into disconnected regions, other things forbidden
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2006/05/… They correctly point out that three colors cannot work, as Nevada has an odd number of neighbors
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  thank you for your suggestion, I made a few clarifications.
  $endgroup$
  – Bor Kari
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I've edited your title to make it more specific and informative. Please check if it is correct.
  $endgroup$
  – YuiTo Cheng
  19 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

7

2

$begingroup$

I want to colour the US (only the states) map with Yellow, Green, Red and Blue. I was wondering what would be the lowest number of states with the colour of Green. We can of course use the other colours as much as we want. Please note that I want to follow the Four Color Theorem rules.

Motivation:
I am studying graph theory and I want to know if there is a way that we could limit the use of the fourth colour as much as possible. This is not a homework problem.

My attempt:
I have tried many variations and can limit it to 6 and it seems like the
minimum possible but there are infinite possibilities to try so I was wondering if there is a simpler method? Thank you in advance.

Clarification:
I am interested in only the mainland of USA. For states like Michigan that are split, I used the same colour for both parts (since they were not connected directly).

graph-theory recreational-mathematics

share|cite|improve this question

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  you would need to agree on a favorite version of the graph. In the actual US, there are islands, states split into disconnected regions, other things forbidden
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2006/05/… They correctly point out that three colors cannot work, as Nevada has an odd number of neighbors
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  thank you for your suggestion, I made a few clarifications.
  $endgroup$
  – Bor Kari
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I've edited your title to make it more specific and informative. Please check if it is correct.
  $endgroup$
  – YuiTo Cheng
  19 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I want to colour the US (only the states) map with Yellow, Green, Red and Blue. I was wondering what would be the lowest number of states with the colour of Green. We can of course use the other colours as much as we want. Please note that I want to follow the Four Color Theorem rules.

Motivation:
I am studying graph theory and I want to know if there is a way that we could limit the use of the fourth colour as much as possible. This is not a homework problem.

My attempt:
I have tried many variations and can limit it to 6 and it seems like the
minimum possible but there are infinite possibilities to try so I was wondering if there is a simpler method? Thank you in advance.

Clarification:
I am interested in only the mainland of USA. For states like Michigan that are split, I used the same colour for both parts (since they were not connected directly).

graph-theory recreational-mathematics

share|cite|improve this question

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

$endgroup$

share|cite|improve this question

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

share|cite|improve this question

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

edited 20 mins ago

YuiTo Cheng

2,40641037

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

asked 2 hours ago

Bor KariBor Kari

3749

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

5

$begingroup$

The minimum is two states that use the fourth color. Nevada and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors, and similarly West Virginia and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors.

But if we color Arizona and Ohio a color we use nowhere else, then the remainder of the map can be completed using only three colors:

Adjacencies between the states may be easier to see here.

share|cite|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I need a better atlas. I'm looking at the Philadelphia area, I cannot tell what happens among Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland.
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @WillJagy The reference I actually used to color the US was this picture of the US graph, which solves this problem.
  $endgroup$
  – Misha Lavrov
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  That's pretty good. A simple standard: at least one drivable road between neighbors
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  just curious -- did you write code to do this, or did you do this by hand?
  $endgroup$
  – antkam
  51 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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5

$begingroup$

The minimum is two states that use the fourth color. Nevada and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors, and similarly West Virginia and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors.

But if we color Arizona and Ohio a color we use nowhere else, then the remainder of the map can be completed using only three colors:

Adjacencies between the states may be easier to see here.

share|cite|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I need a better atlas. I'm looking at the Philadelphia area, I cannot tell what happens among Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland.
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @WillJagy The reference I actually used to color the US was this picture of the US graph, which solves this problem.
  $endgroup$
  – Misha Lavrov
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  That's pretty good. A simple standard: at least one drivable road between neighbors
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  just curious -- did you write code to do this, or did you do this by hand?
  $endgroup$
  – antkam
  51 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

$begingroup$

The minimum is two states that use the fourth color. Nevada and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors, and similarly West Virginia and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors.

But if we color Arizona and Ohio a color we use nowhere else, then the remainder of the map can be completed using only three colors:

Adjacencies between the states may be easier to see here.

share|cite|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I need a better atlas. I'm looking at the Philadelphia area, I cannot tell what happens among Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland.
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @WillJagy The reference I actually used to color the US was this picture of the US graph, which solves this problem.
  $endgroup$
  – Misha Lavrov
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  That's pretty good. A simple standard: at least one drivable road between neighbors
  $endgroup$
  – Will Jagy
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  just curious -- did you write code to do this, or did you do this by hand?
  $endgroup$
  – antkam
  51 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

The minimum is two states that use the fourth color. Nevada and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors, and similarly West Virginia and its five neighbors cannot be colored with only three colors.

But if we color Arizona and Ohio a color we use nowhere else, then the remainder of the map can be completed using only three colors:

Adjacencies between the states may be easier to see here.

share|cite|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

$endgroup$

share|cite|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108

answered 1 hour ago

Misha LavrovMisha Lavrov

49.3k757108