On graphs with cyclic defect or excess

The Moore bound constitutes both an upper bound on the order of a graph of maximum degree $d$ and diameter $D=k$ and a lower bound on the order of a graph of minimum degree $d$ and odd girth $g=2k+1$. Graphs missing or exceeding the Moore bound by $\epsilon$ are called {\it graphs with defect or excess $\epsilon$}, respectively. While {\it Moore graphs} (graphs with $\epsilon=0$) and graphs with defect or excess 1 have been characterized almost completely, graphs with defect or excess 2 represent a wide unexplored area. Graphs with defect (excess) 2 satisfy the equation $G_{d,k}(A) = J_n + B$ ($G_{d,k}(A) = J_n-B$), where $A$ denotes the adjacency matrix of the graph in question, $n$ its order, $J_n$ the $n\times n$ matrix whose entries are all 1's, $B$ the adjacency matrix of a union of vertex-disjoint cycles, and $G_{d,k}(x)$ a polynomial with integer coefficients such that the matrix $G_{d,k}(A)$ gives the number of paths of length at most $k$ joining each pair of vertices in the graph. In particular, if $B$ is the adjacency matrix of a cycle of order $n$ we call the corresponding graphs \emph{graphs with cyclic defect or excess}; these graphs are the subject of our attention in this paper. We prove the non-existence of infinitely many such graphs. As the highlight of the paper we provide the asymptotic upper bound of $O(\frac{64}3d^{3/2})$ for the number of graphs of odd degree $d\ge3$ and cyclic defect or excess. This bound is in fact quite generous, and as a way of illustration, we show the non-existence of some families of graphs of odd degree $d\ge3$ and cyclic defect or excess. Actually, we conjecture that, apart from the M\"obius ladder on 8 vertices, no non-trivial graph of any degree $\ge 3$ and cyclic defect or excess exists.Comment: 20 pages, 3 Postscript figure

On bipartite graphs of defect at most 4

We consider the bipartite version of the degree/diameter problem, namely, given natural numbers {\Delta} \geq 2 and D \geq 2, find the maximum number Nb({\Delta},D) of vertices in a bipartite graph of maximum degree {\Delta} and diameter D. In this context, the Moore bipartite bound Mb({\Delta},D) represents an upper bound for Nb({\Delta},D). Bipartite graphs of maximum degree {\Delta}, diameter D and order Mb({\Delta},D), called Moore bipartite graphs, have turned out to be very rare. Therefore, it is very interesting to investigate bipartite graphs of maximum degree {\Delta} \geq 2, diameter D \geq 2 and order Mb({\Delta},D) - \epsilon with small \epsilon > 0, that is, bipartite ({\Delta},D,-\epsilon)-graphs. The parameter \epsilon is called the defect. This paper considers bipartite graphs of defect at most 4, and presents all the known such graphs. Bipartite graphs of defect 2 have been studied in the past; if {\Delta} \geq 3 and D \geq 3, they may only exist for D = 3. However, when \epsilon > 2 bipartite ({\Delta},D,-\epsilon)-graphs represent a wide unexplored area. The main results of the paper include several necessary conditions for the existence of bipartite $(\Delta,d,-4)$-graphs; the complete catalogue of bipartite (3,D,-\epsilon)-graphs with D \geq 2 and 0 \leq \epsilon \leq 4; the complete catalogue of bipartite ({\Delta},D,-\epsilon)-graphs with {\Delta} \geq 2, 5 \leq D \leq 187 (D /= 6) and 0 \leq \epsilon \leq 4; and a non-existence proof of all bipartite ({\Delta},D,-4)-graphs with {\Delta} \geq 3 and odd D \geq 7. Finally, we conjecture that there are no bipartite graphs of defect 4 for {\Delta} \geq 3 and D \geq 5, and comment on some implications of our results for upper bounds of Nb({\Delta},D).Comment: 25 pages, 14 Postscript figure

On graphs of defect at most 2

In this paper we consider the degree/diameter problem, namely, given natural numbers {\Delta} \geq 2 and D \geq 1, find the maximum number N({\Delta},D) of vertices in a graph of maximum degree {\Delta} and diameter D. In this context, the Moore bound M({\Delta},D) represents an upper bound for N({\Delta},D). Graphs of maximum degree {\Delta}, diameter D and order M({\Delta},D), called Moore graphs, turned out to be very rare. Therefore, it is very interesting to investigate graphs of maximum degree {\Delta} \geq 2, diameter D \geq 1 and order M({\Delta},D) - {\epsilon} with small {\epsilon} > 0, that is, ({\Delta},D,-{\epsilon})-graphs. The parameter {\epsilon} is called the defect. Graphs of defect 1 exist only for {\Delta} = 2. When {\epsilon} > 1, ({\Delta},D,-{\epsilon})-graphs represent a wide unexplored area. This paper focuses on graphs of defect 2. Building on the approaches developed in [11] we obtain several new important results on this family of graphs. First, we prove that the girth of a ({\Delta},D,-2)-graph with {\Delta} \geq 4 and D \geq 4 is 2D. Second, and most important, we prove the non-existence of ({\Delta},D,-2)-graphs with even {\Delta} \geq 4 and D \geq 4; this outcome, together with a proof on the non-existence of (4, 3,-2)-graphs (also provided in the paper), allows us to complete the catalogue of (4,D,-{\epsilon})-graphs with D \geq 2 and 0 \leq {\epsilon} \leq 2. Such a catalogue is only the second census of ({\Delta},D,-2)-graphs known at present, the first being the one of (3,D,-{\epsilon})-graphs with D \geq 2 and 0 \leq {\epsilon} \leq 2 [14]. Other results of this paper include necessary conditions for the existence of ({\Delta},D,-2)-graphs with odd {\Delta} \geq 5 and D \geq 4, and the non-existence of ({\Delta},D,-2)-graphs with odd {\Delta} \geq 5 and D \geq 5 such that {\Delta} \equiv 0, 2 (mod D).Comment: 22 pages, 11 Postscript figure

Ziggurats and Rotation Numbers

We establish the existence of new rigidity and rationality phenomena in the theory of nonabelian group actions on the circle and introduce tools to translate questions about the existence of actions with prescribed dynamics into finite combinatorics. A special case of our theory gives a very short new proof of Naimi's theorem (i.e., the conjecture of Jankins-Neumann) which was the last step in the classification of taut foliations of Seifert fibered spaces

Symplectic symmetries of 4-manifolds

A study of symplectic actions of a finite group $G$ on smooth 4-manifolds is initiated. The central new idea is the use of $G$-equivariant Seiberg-Witten-Taubes theory in studying the structure of the fixed-point set of these symmetries. The main result in this paper is a complete description of the fixed-point set structure (and the action around it) of a symplectic cyclic action of prime order on a minimal symplectic 4-manifold with $c_1^2=0$. Comparison of this result with the case of locally linear topological actions is made. As an application of these considerations, the triviality of many such actions on a large class of 4-manifolds is established. In particular, we show the triviality of homologically trivial symplectic symmetries of a $K3$ surface (in analogy with holomorphic automorphisms). Various examples and comments illustrating our considerations are also included.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figure, 1 appendix, publishe

On graphs with cyclic defect or excess

The Moore bound constitutes both an upper bound on the order of a graph of maximum degree d and diameter D = k and a lower bound on the order of a graph of minimum degree d and odd girth g = 2k + 1. Graphs missing or exceeding the Moore bound by ε are called graphs with defect or excess ε, respectively. While Moore graphs (graphs with ε = 0) and graphs with defect or excess 1 have been characterized almost completely, graphs with defect or excess 2 represent a wide unexplored area. Graphs with defect (excess) 2 satisfy the equation Gd,k(A) = Jn +B (Gd,k(A) = Jn - B), where A denotes the adjacency matrix of the graph in question, n its order, Jn the n × n matrix whose entries are all 1's, B the adjacency matrix of a union of vertex-disjoint cycles, and Gd,k(x) a polynomial with integer coefficients such that the matrix Gd,k(A) gives the number of paths of length at most k joining each pair of vertices in the graph. In particular, if B is the adjacency matrix of a cycle of order n we call the corresponding graphs graphs with cyclic defect or excess; these graphs are the subject of our attention in this paper. We prove the non-existence of infinitely many such graphs. As the highlight of the paper we provide the asymptotic upper bound of O(64/3 d3/2) for the number of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. This bound is in fact quite generous, and as a way of illustration, we show the non-existence of some families of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. Actually, we conjecture that, apart from the Möbius ladder on 8 vertices, no non-trivial graph of any degree ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess exists