图论（Graph theory）是数学的一个分支，它以图为研究对象，研究顶点和边组成的图形的数学理论和方法。图是区域在头脑和纸面上的反映，图论就是研究区域关系的学科。区域是一个平面，平面当然是二维的，但是，图在特殊的构造中，可以形成多维（例如大于3维空间）空间，这样的图已经超越了一般意义上的区域（例如一个有许多洞的曲面，它是多维的，曲面染色已经超出了平面概念）。

图论中的图是由若干给定的顶点及连接两顶点的边所构成的图形，这种图形通常用来描述某些事物之间的某种特定关系，用顶点代表事物，用连接两顶点的边表示相应两个事物间具有这种关系。

In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs, which are mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects. A graph in this context is made up of vertices, nodes, or points which are connected by edges, arcs, or lines. A graph may be undirected, meaning that there is no distinction between the two vertices associated with each edge, or its edges may be directed from one vertex to another; see Graph (discrete mathematics) for more detailed definitions and for other variations in the types of graph that are commonly considered. Graphs are one of the prime objects of study in discrete mathematics.