The spectrum and toughness of regular graphs

In 1995, Brouwer proved that the toughness of a connected $k$-regular graph $G$ is at least $k/\lambda-2$, where $\lambda$ is the maximum absolute value of the non-trivial eigenvalues of $G$. Brouwer conjectured that one can improve this lower bound to $k/\lambda-1$ and that many graphs (especially graphs attaining equality in the Hoffman ratio bound for the independence number) have toughness equal to $k/\lambda$. In this paper, we improve Brouwer's spectral bound when the toughness is small and we determine the exact value of the toughness for many strongly regular graphs attaining equality in the Hoffman ratio bound such as Lattice graphs, Triangular graphs, complements of Triangular graphs and complements of point-graphs of generalized quadrangles. For all these graphs with the exception of the Petersen graph, we confirm Brouwer's intuition by showing that the toughness equals $k/(-\lambda_{min})$, where $\lambda_{min}$ is the smallest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of the graph.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, accepted to Discrete Applied Mathematics, special issue dedicated to the "Applications of Graph Spectra in Computer Science" Conference, Centre de Recerca Matematica (CRM), Bellaterra, Barcelona, June 16-20, 201

Higher homotopy groups of complements of complex hyperplane arrangements

We generalize results of Hattori on the topology of complements of hyperplane arrangements, from the class of generic arrangements, to the much broader class of hypersolvable arrangements. We show that the higher homotopy groups of the complement vanish in a certain combinatorially determined range, and we give an explicit Z\pi_1-module presentation of \pi_p, the first non-vanishing higher homotopy group. We also give a combinatorial formula for the \pi_1-coinvariants of \pi_p. For affine line arrangements whose cones are hypersolvable, we provide a minimal resolution of \pi_2, and study some of the properties of this module. For graphic arrangements associated to graphs with no 3-cycles, we obtain information on \pi_2, directly from the graph. The \pi_1-coinvariants of \pi_2 may distinguish the homotopy 2-types of arrangement complements with the same \pi_1, and the same Betti numbers in low degrees.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure

On the lattice of subgroups of a free group: complements and rank

A $\vee$-complement of a subgroup $H \leqslant \mathbb{F}_n$ is a subgroup $K \leqslant \mathbb{F}_n$ such that $H \vee K = \mathbb{F}_n$. If we also ask $K$ to have trivial intersection with $H$, then we say that $K$ is a $\oplus$-complement of $H$. The minimum possible rank of a $\vee$-complement (resp. $\oplus$-complement) of $H$ is called the $\vee$-corank (resp. $\oplus$-corank) of $H$. We use Stallings automata to study these notions and the relations between them. In particular, we characterize when complements exist, compute the $\vee$-corank, and provide language-theoretical descriptions of the sets of cyclic complements. Finally, we prove that the two notions of corank coincide on subgroups that admit cyclic complements of both kinds.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figure

Developments on Spectral Characterizations of Graphs

In [E.R. van Dam and W.H. Haemers, Which graphs are determined by their spectrum?, Linear Algebra Appl. 373 (2003), 241-272] we gave a survey of answers to the question of which graphs are determined by the spectrum of some matrix associated to the graph. In particular, the usual adjacency matrix and the Laplacian matrix were addressed. Furthermore, we formulated some research questions on the topic. In the meantime some of these questions have been (partially) answered. In the present paper we give a survey of these and other developments.2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C50Spectra of graphs;Cospectral graphs;Generalized adjacency matrices;Distance-regular graphs