Let be a Graph with Then or

Proof

Clearly WTS Induction on edges Pick an edge and colour everything else in Construct the longest sequence of distinct where if is missing colour then is coloured

Case 1

No such that is coloured Note Now recolour with colour

Case 2

for some Recolour with for leaving uncoloured, so WLOG and is uncoloured with missing at Let be a colour unused in If is not in the same component as then recolour that component Similarly for Now is a component containing Note that is a path or an even cycle But one of is missing at each of so cannot exist.