The graph isomorphism disease

TLDR: The present state of the art of isomorphism testing is surveyed, its relationship to NP-completeness is discussed, and some of the difficulties inherent in this particularly elusive and challenging problem are indicated.

Abstract: The graph isomorphism problem—to devise a good algorithm for determining if two graphs are isomorphic—is of considerable practical importance, and is also of theoretical interest due to its relationship to the concept of NP-completeness. No efficient (i.e., polynomial-bound) algorithm for graph isomorphism is known, and it has been conjectured that no such algorithm can exist. Many papers on the subject have appeared, but progress has been slight; in fact, the intractable nature of the problem and the way that many graph theorists have been led to devote much time to it, recall those aspects of the four-color conjecture which prompted Harary to rechristen it the “four-color disease.” This paper surveys the present state of the art of isomorphism testing, discusses its relationship to NP-completeness, and indicates some of the difficulties inherent in this particularly elusive and challenging problem. A comprehensive bibliography of papers relating to the graph isomorphism problem is given.