Eigenvalue interlacing and weight parameters of graphs

Eigenvalue interlacing is a versatile technique for deriving results in algebraic combinatorics. In particular, it has been successfully used for proving a number of results about the relation between the (adjacency matrix or Laplacian) spectrum of a graph and some of its properties. For instance, some characterizations of regular partitions, and bounds for some parameters, such as the independence and chromatic numbers, the diameter, the bandwidth, etc., have been obtained. For each parameter of a graph involving the cardinality of some vertex sets, we can define its corresponding weight parameter by giving some "weights" (that is, the entries of the positive eigenvector) to the vertices and replacing cardinalities by square norms. The key point is that such weights "regularize" the graph, and hence allow us to define a kind of regular partition, called "pseudo-regular," intended for general graphs. Here we show how to use interlacing for proving results about some weight parameters and pseudo-regular partitions of a graph. For instance, generalizing a well-known result of Lov\'asz, it is shown that the weight Shannon capacity $\Theta^*$ of a connected graph \G, with $n$ vertices and (adjacency matrix) eigenvalues $\lambda_1>\lambda_2\ge\...\ge \lambda_n$, satisfies \Theta\le \Theta^* \le \frac{\|\vecnu\|^2}{1-\frac{\lambda_1}{\lambda_n}} where $\Theta$ is the (standard) Shannon capacity and \vecnu is the positive eigenvector normalized to have smallest entry 1. In the special case of regular graphs, the results obtained have some interesting corollaries, such as an upper bound for some of the multiplicities of the eigenvalues of a distance-regular graph. Finally, some results involving the Laplacian spectrum are derived. spectrum are derived

Nodal domains, spectral minimal partitions, and their relation to Aharonov-Bohm operators

This survey is a short version of a chapter written by the first two authors in the book [A. Henrot, editor. Shape optimization and spectral theory. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017] (where more details and references are given) but we have decided here to put more emphasis on the role of the Aharonov-Bohm operators which appear to be a useful tool coming from physics for understanding a problem motivated either by spectral geometry or dynamics of population. Similar questions appear also in Bose-Einstein theory. Finally some open problems which might be of interest are mentioned.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1506.0724

Distance-regular graphs

This is a survey of distance-regular graphs. We present an introduction to distance-regular graphs for the reader who is unfamiliar with the subject, and then give an overview of some developments in the area of distance-regular graphs since the monograph 'BCN' [Brouwer, A.E., Cohen, A.M., Neumaier, A., Distance-Regular Graphs, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1989] was written.Comment: 156 page