  The implicit graph conjecture states that every sufficiently small,
hereditary graph class has a labeling scheme with a polynomial-time computable
label decoder. We approach this conjecture by investigating classes of label
decoders defined in terms of complexity classes such as P and EXP. For
instance, GP denotes the class of graph classes that have a labeling scheme
with a polynomial-time computable label decoder. Until now it was not even
known whether GP is a strict subset of GR. We show that this is indeed the case
and reveal a strict hierarchy akin to classical complexity. We also show that
classes such as GP can be characterized in terms of graph parameters. This
could mean that certain algorithmic problems are feasible on every graph class
in GP. Lastly, we define a more restrictive class of label decoders using
first-order logic that already contains many natural graph classes such as
forests and interval graphs. We give an alternative characterization of this
class in terms of directed acyclic graphs. By showing that some small,
hereditary graph class cannot be expressed with such label decoders a weaker
form of the implicit graph conjecture could be disproven.
