title: Understanding a Git history graph
body: <p>Below is a Git history graph from a random GitHub project I am studying, to learn about Git:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hg5bt.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hg5bt.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>The graph is from the GitKraken GUI.</p>
  
  <p>The lower circle, heading up, splits into three paths.  One path (rightmost) merges back into the leftmost path, but the middle path continues.</p>
  
  <p>My question: Given the same Git history, could this graph have been drawn differently? Is it only one of several depictions that are possible (and the GUI client in this case chose the above), or could this have been drawn differently?  For example, I put together another one below (I drew it myself - PhotoShop) where I eliminated the leftmost path.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/qejTs.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/qejTs.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>