In this paper we introduce, and characterize, a class of graph parameters
obtained from tensor invariants of the symplectic group. These parameters are
similar to partition functions of vertex models, as introduced by de la Harpe
and Jones, [P. de la Harpe, V.F.R. Jones, Graph invariants related to
statistical mechanical models: examples and problems, Journal of Combinatorial
Theory, Series B 57 (1993) 207-227]. Yet they give a completely different class
of graph invariants. We moreover show that certain evaluations of the cycle
partition polynomial, as defined by Martin [P. Martin, Enum\'erations
eul\'eriennes dans les multigraphes et invariants de Tutte-Grothendieck, Diss.
Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble-INPG; Universit\'e
Joseph-Fourier-Grenoble I, 1977], give examples of graph parameters that can be
obtained this way.Comment: Some corrections have been made on the basis of referee comments. 21
pages, 1 figure. Accepted in JCT