[Math] Proof that Transitive Tournament Is Not Strongly Connected

graph theory

Let T be a transitive tournament with n > 1 vertices.

Prove (by contradiction or otherwise) that T is not strongly connected.

This one has had me stumped for a little while.

As the question suggests proof by contradiction that's my aim but I haven't really progressed.

I can see (from looking at and drawing several examples of transitive tournaments) that there will be a vertex with an in-degree of zero, which would result in there being no way for the graph to be strongly connected, so I feel it's somewhere down this line of thinking, although I doubt that could be used in a proof by contradiction.

Any help or pointing in some direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Best Answer

Take two vertices $x$ and $y$. Assuming $T$ is strongly connected, there is a directed path from $x$ to $y$. As $T$ is transitive, there is an edge $x\to y$. Inversely, there is a directed path from $y$ to $x$, and therefore an edge from $y\to x$. But now there are two edges connecting $x$ and $y$.