Half-arc-transitive graphs with small number of alternets Klavdija - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Half-arc-transitive graphs with small number of alternets

Klavdija Kutnar

University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia This is a joint work with Ademir Hujdurović and Dragan Marušič.

Villanova, June 2014

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Overview

Half-arc-transitive graphs Alternets Some results about the graphs with small number of alternets (2,3,4 or 5)

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Different types of transitivity

A graph is vertex-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on vertices.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Different types of transitivity

A graph is vertex-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on vertices. A graph is edge-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on edges.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Different types of transitivity

A graph is vertex-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on vertices. A graph is edge-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on edges. A graph is arc-transitive (also called symmetric) if its automorphism group acts transitively on arcs.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Different types of transitivity

A graph is vertex-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on vertices. A graph is edge-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on edges. A graph is arc-transitive (also called symmetric) if its automorphism group acts transitively on arcs. A graph X is G-half-arc-transitive if the group G ≤ Aut(X) acts transitively on the vertex set and the edge set of X, and G does not act transitively on the set of arcs of X. When X is Aut(X)−half-arc-transitive, then we shortly say that X is half-arc-transitive. We also say that a pair (G, X) is half-arc-transitive.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Overview of the study of half-arc-transitive graphs

The first result linking vertex-transitivity and edge-transitivity to arc-transitivity. Tutte, 1966 A vertex-transitive and edge-transitive graph of odd valency is arc-transitive. Half-arc-transitive graphs are of even valency.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

The first examples of HAT graphs

The first examples of half-arc-transitive graphs were given by Bouwer (1970), he constructed a 2k-valent half-arc-transitive graph for every k ≥ 2. The smallest example constructed by Bouwer had 54 vertices and was quartic. Dolye (1976) and Holt (1981) subsequently discovered the graph on 27 vertices, now known as the Doyle-Holt graph. In 1991 Alspach, Nowitz and Marušič showed this to be the smallest such graph.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

The Doyle - Holt graph

The smallest half-arc-transitive graph.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Current research on HAT graphs

Papers dealing with the construction problem of HAT graphs, the classification problem of HAT graphs,

• f particular order or valency (Alspach, Conder, D’Azevedo, Feng,

Kwak, Li, Nedela, Malnič, Marušič, Pisanski, Praeger, Sim, Šajna, Šparl, Waller, Wang, Wilson, Zhou, Xu). There are several approaches that are currently being taken, such as for example, investigation of (im)primitivity of half-arc-transitive group actions on graphs, and geometry related questions about half-arc-transitive graphs.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Alternets

Let X be a G-half-arc-transitive graph. Then we have a natural

• rientation of X. Declare two directed edges to be "related" if they

have the same initial vertex, or the same terminal vertex. Consider the equivalence relation generated by "related". We will use the term alternet for the sub-graph consisting of an equivalence class of directed edges. When the graph is of valency 4, alternets are in fact cycles, and are called alterneting cycles. Alternets are blocks of imprimitivity for the action of G on the edges of X.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Alternets

Given an arc (u, v) of DG(X), the vertices u and v are called its tail and head, respectively. Let A = {Ai | i ∈ {1, 2, . . . , m}} be the corresponding set of alternets in X. The length of an alternet is the number of vertices contained in it. If there are at least two alternets, then all of them have the same even length, half of which is called the G-radius of X. For each i, define the head set Hi to be the set of all vertices at the heads of arcs in Ai ∈ A and the tail set Ti to be the set of all vertices at the tails of arcs in Ai ∈ A. Note that for m ≥ 2 we have Ti ∩ Hi = ∅. The head sets as well as the tail sets partition V (X), in particular, these are two G-invariant partitions of V (X). The intersection A = Ai,j = Hi ∩ Tj, when non-empty, is called a G-attachment set.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Example

Example Let X4 be a graph with vertex set V (X4) = {(i, j) | i ∈ Z4, j ∈ Z4 \ {i}} and edge set E(X4) = {{(i, j), (k, i)} | (i, j) ∈ V (X4), k ∈ Z4, k = i, k = j}. Then (S4, X4) is a half-arc-transitive with 4 alternets.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

X4

• Klavdija Kutnar

GReGAS, University of Primorska

X4

• Klavdija Kutnar

GReGAS, University of Primorska

Alternets

The collection of all attachment sets forms a G-invariant partition (intersection of two blocks is a block), consequently all attachment sets have the same cardinality, called the G-attachment number of

• X. If Ai,j is a singleton then X is said to be G-loosely attached.

On the other hand, if Ai,j = Hi = Tj then X is said to be G-tightly

• attached. (In all of the above concepts the symbol G is omitted

when the group G is clear from the context.)

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 2 alternets

It is easy to see that every half-arc-transitive pair (G, X) with 2 alternets is tightly attached. Such graphs are also necessarily bipartite. Example The graph Kp,p − pK2, where p ≡ 1 (mod 4) is a prime (p ≥ 5), admits a half-arc-transitive group action with 2 alternets.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 2 alternets

It is easy to see that every half-arc-transitive pair (G, X) with 2 alternets is tightly attached. Such graphs are also necessarily bipartite. Example The graph Kp,p − pK2, where p ≡ 1 (mod 4) is a prime (p ≥ 5), admits a half-arc-transitive group action with 2 alternets. We have Kp,p − pK2 ∼ = Cay(Z2p, {±1, ±3, . . . , ±(p − 2)}). Define the mappings ρ, α : Z2p → Z2p with ρ(x) = x + 2 and α(x) = ax + 1 where a is a generator of Z∗

• 2p. Straightforward

calculations shows that the group G = ρ, α acts half-arc-transitively on X.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 3 alternets

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Let X be a G-half-arc-transitive graph with three alternets. Then X is G-tightly attached. An example of a half-arc-transitive graph with three alternets is the Doyle-Holt graph.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Examples of non-tightly-attached graphs

Example Let n be a natural number n ≥ 4. Let Xn be a graph with vertex set V (Xn) = {(i, j) | i ∈ Zn, j ∈ Zn \ {i}} and edge set E(Xn) = {{(i, j), (k, i)} | (i, j) ∈ V (Xn), k ∈ Zn, k = i, k = j}. Then (Sn, Xn) is a half-arc-transitive with n alternets, which is not tightly attached.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

An example of a graph with 4 alternets – X4

• Klavdija Kutnar

GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 4 alternets

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Let X be a G-half-arc-transitive graph with four alternets which is not G-tightly attached. Then there exists a decomposition of V (X) relative to which the quotient graph of X is isomorphic to X4 ∼ = R6(5, 4).

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 4 alternets

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Every connected regular cyclic cover of the rose window graph R6(5, 4), along which the half-arc-transitive subgroup of its automorphism group giving rise to four alternets lifts, is arc-transitive.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 4 alternets

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Every connected regular cyclic cover of the rose window graph R6(5, 4), along which the half-arc-transitive subgroup of its automorphism group giving rise to four alternets lifts, is arc-transitive. There exist a cover of the multigraph, obtained from X4 by replacing each edge with two parallel edges, which is half-arc-transitive non-tightly attached with 4 alternets. Question Does there exist a regular cover of R6(5, 4) which is (non-tightly attached) half-arc-transitive with four alternets?

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Graphs with 5 alternets

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Let X be a G-half-arc-transitive graph with five alternets which is not G-tightly attached. Then there exists a decomposition of V (X) relative to which the quotient graph of X is isomorphic to X5.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Constructing graphs admitting HAT group actions with a prescribed number of alternets

When aiming for constructions of graphs admitting half-arc-transitive group actions with a prescribed number of alternets, direct products of graphs prove useful. The direct product X × Y of graphs X and Y has vertex set V (X) × V (Y ) where two vertices (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are adjacent if and only if {x1, x2} ∈ E(X) and {y1, y2} ∈ E(Y ). Let G and H be groups, and X and Y be a G-arc-transitive graph and a H-half-arc-transitive graph, respectively. Then it is not difficult to see that X × Y is G × H-half-arc-transitive graph. Furthermore, the direct product X × Y is connected provided X and Y are connected and at least one of them is not bipartite.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Theorem (Hujdurović, KK, Marušič, JCTA, 2014) Let G and H be groups, and let X be a connected G-arc-transitive graph, and let Y be a connected H-half-arc-transitive graph with n ≥ 2 alternets. Then (i) if X is not bipartite, then X × Y is a connected G × H-half-arc-transitive graph with n alternets; and (ii) if X is bipartite and Y is not bipartite, then X × Y is a connected G × H-half-arc-transitive graph with 2n alternets. Remark: Since there are infinitely many non-bipartite arc-transitive graphs, this theorem implies the existence of infinitely many half-arc-transitive graphs with n ≥ 2 alternets provided one such graph exist.

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska

Thank you !!!

Klavdija Kutnar GReGAS, University of Primorska