Skip to main content
This edit is to second the recent correction of Tyler Streeter. To give context and support, I added a relevant part of Biggs, Algebraic Graph Theory, CUP, second edition.
Source Link

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are either $K_2$ or even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs $H$ of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

A relevant passage from N. Biggs: Algebraic Graph Theory. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, is:

excerpt from Biggs: Algebraic Graph Theory

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are either $K_2$ or even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are either $K_2$ or even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs $H$ of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

A relevant passage from N. Biggs: Algebraic Graph Theory. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, is:

excerpt from Biggs: Algebraic Graph Theory

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

$r(G)$ definition is incorrect: it should also include $K_2$ components. See e.g. [Harary, 1962](http://yaroslavvb.com/papers/harary-determinant.pdf) eq.8, where $e_i$ (same as $r(G)$ here) is defined at the bottom of p.207 as the number of even components that are lines ($K_2$) or cycles.
Source Link

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are either $K_2$ or even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are either $K_2$ or even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

added 6 characters in body
Source Link
Jernej
  • 3.5k
  • 1
  • 27
  • 41

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are $K_2$even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are $K_2$. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

Let $G$ be a graph with adjacency matrix $A$. Let $s(G)$ be the number of connected components of $G$ that are cycles and $r(G)$ the number of connected components that are even cycles. Then $$\det(A) = \sum_{H} (-1)^{r(H)} 2^{s(H)}$$ where the sum is over all spanning subgraphs of $G$ that have only $K_2$ and cycles as their connected components.

In particular if $T$ is a tree the determinant of its adjacency matrix is $\pm$ the number of perfect matchings of $T$.

This identity can be generalized to all other coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of $A.$ For more information check the chapter "Determinant expansions" of Biggs' book on algebraic graph theory.

added 6 characters in body
Source Link
Jernej
  • 3.5k
  • 1
  • 27
  • 41
Loading
Source Link
Jernej
  • 3.5k
  • 1
  • 27
  • 41
Loading