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Questions about the branch of combinatorics called graph theory (not to be used for questions concerning the graph of a function). This tag can be further specialized via using it in combination with more specialized tags such as extremal-graph-theory, spectral-graph-theory, algebraic-graph-theory, topological-graph-theory, random-graphs, graph-colorings and several others.

27 votes
Accepted

Factorization of the characteristic polynomial of the adjacency matrix of a graph

Expanding on Richard's comment: let me rename your graph to $S$ and consider the adjacency matrix $A$ abstractly as a linear operator acting on the free vector space $\mathbb{C}[S]$ on (the vertices o …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
9 votes

What (fun) results in graph theory should undergraduates learn?

The (finite, simple) graphs with the property that their adjacency matrices have spectral radius less than $2$ are precisely the simply laced Dynkin diagrams $A_n, D_n, E_6, E_7, E_8$. Similarly, the …
9 votes
Accepted

How many non-isomorphic graphs of 50 vertices and 150 edges

The simplest guess one could make is $\frac{1}{50!} { {50 \choose 2} \choose 150}$. That is, we first count the number of labeled such graphs, then assume that most of them have trivial automorphism g …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
7 votes

Graph with group structure?

I can at least propose a definition. To my mind, the categorically best behaved category of graphs is the category of presheaves on $\{ \bullet \rightrightarrows \bullet \}$ ("directed multigraphs"); …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
3 votes

"Homomorphism fingerprint" for graphs

For graphs $G, H$, let $G \times H$ denote the graph with vertex set $V(G) \times V(H)$ and such that $(g_0, h_0)$ and $(g_1, h_1)$ are connected by an edge iff $g_0$ and $g_1$ are connected by an edg …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
232 views

Reference request: "unoriented composition" in generalized categories

I'm looking for a generalized notion of category (really of symmetric multicategory) which, roughly speaking, doesn't make a distinction between sources and targets. Each "morphism" in such a category …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
5 votes

When Do a Few Eigenvectors of Graph Laplacians Not Determine the Graph?

Everything I'm about to say depends on knowing the eigenvectors and eigenvalues exactly (in terms of algebraic numbers). Lemma: Let $L$ be an integer square matrix and $\lambda$ an eigenvalue of $L$ …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
29 votes
Accepted

Number of closed walks on an $n$-cube

Yes (assuming a closed walk can repeat vertices). For any finite graph $G$ with adjacency matrix $A$, the total number of closed walks of length $r$ is given by $$\text{tr } A^r = \sum_i \lambda_i^r$ …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
5 votes

Graph Theory: question regarding a class of digraph

If I understand you correctly, such a thing is generally called a partial function (from the vertex set to itself).
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
3 votes

Spectral radius of a proper subgraph

There is a pretty straightforward counting argument which I give as Lemma 6 here. I don't think it is the standard argument, though.
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
12 votes

How much linear algebra can be done with graphs?

Well, unlike the determinant, the eigenvalues of an integer matrix aren't integers, so I don't know how much to expect here as far as a direct combinatorial interpretation of any kind. However, there …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
528 views

Reference request: discrete harmonic functions and ends of graphs

Let $G$ be an infinite locally finite connected graph with finitely many ends. A real-valued function $f : G \to \mathbb{R}$ is harmonic if $$f(v) = \frac{1}{d_v} \sum_{v \sim w} f(w)$$ where $v \ …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
2 votes

Which integer recurrence relations can be formulated as counting walks on a graph?

Okay, so it's not quite a duplicate because I guess you're asking about initial conditions as well. The generating functions of the sequences $a_n$ which have this property are called $\mathbb{N}$-re …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Combinatorial proof of (a special case of) the spectral theorem?

The spectral theorem for a real $n \times n$ symmetric matrix $A$ says that $A$ is diagonalizable with all eigenvalues real. If $A$ happens to have non-negative integer entries, it can be interpreted …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
10 votes
Accepted

Is there an "adjacency matrix" for weighted directed graphs that captures the weights?

It looks like in your definition the weight of a path is the sum of the weights of its edges. In many combinatorial applications a natural definition of the weight of a path is the product of the wei …
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar

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