Minimally 3-connected graphs

A constructive characterization of the class of minimally 3-connected graphs is presented. This yields a new characterization for the class of 3-connected graphs, which differs from the characterization provided by Tutte. Where Tutte's characterization requires the set of all wheels as a starting set, the new characterization requires only the graph K₄. The new characterization is based on the application of graph operations to appropriate vertex and edge sets in minimally 3-connected graphs.