This is the proof by Namita Tiwari. Thanks!!!
Theorem: Prove that every tree T has either one or two centers.
Proof: We will use one observation that the maximum distance max d(v,w) from a given vertex v to any other vertex w occurs only when w is pendant vertex.
Now, let T is a tree with n vertices (n>=2)
⇒T must have atleast two pendant vertices.
delete all pendant vertices from T, then resulting graph T’ is still a tree.
⇒ eccentricity E(v) in T’ is just one less than E(v) in T ∀ v in T’
again delete pendant vertices from T’ so that resulting T” is still a tree with same centers.
Note that all vertices that T had as centers will still remain centers in T’–>T”–>T”’–>..
continue this process untill remaining tree has either one vertex or one edge.
So at the end, if one vertex is there this implies tree T has one center.
If one edge is there then tree T has two centers.
end of proof.
Result: If a tree has two centers then these two centers must be adjacent.