How the Konigsberg Bridge Problem Changed Mathematics
You’d have a hard time finding the medieval city Königsberg on any modern maps, but one particular quirk in its geography has made it one of the most famous cities in mathematics. Dan Van der Vieren explains how grappling with Königsberg’s puzzling seven bridges led famous mathematician Leonhard Euler to invent a new field of mathematics.
Dig Deeper:
- Who was responsible for solving the Konigsberg riddle?
- The “Geometry of Position” is now known as which branch of mathematics ?
- What happened to Konigsberg?
- Create a map with one more island between two land masses.
- What is the minimum number of bridges needed to create a Eulerian path?
- Instead of removing bridge, where would you have to add bridge to form a Eulerian path? How many would you have to add?
- What is the minimum number of bridges needed to create a Eulerian path?
- Where might drawing nodes and edges be found as useful diagrams in the real world?