fourcolour

Fourcolour is a term that sometimes arises in discussions related to the Four Color Theorem. The Four Color Theorem, a famous conjecture in graph theory, states that any map in a plane can be colored using no more than four colors in such a way that no two adjacent regions have the same color. Regions are considered adjacent if they share a common boundary, not just a single point.

The history of the theorem is rich with attempts at proof and disproof. It was first proposed in 1852 by Francis Guthrie. Over the years, many mathematicians worked on the problem, and several incorrect proofs were published and subsequently refuted. The theorem was finally proven in 1976 by Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken, with the assistance of John Koch. Their proof was controversial because it relied heavily on computer assistance, which was a novel approach at the time for a mathematical proof of this magnitude.

While "fourcolour" itself is not a formal mathematical term with a standalone definition, it directly refers to the application of four colors as stipulated by the theorem. In contexts outside of pure mathematics, the term might be used informally to describe a situation where only four distinct categories or options are available, drawing an analogy to the theorem's constraints. However, its primary and most significant meaning is intrinsically linked to the Four Color Theorem and its implications for map coloring and planar graphs.