Distance-regular graphs of large diameter that are completely regular clique graphs

A connected graph is said to be a completely regular clique graph with parameters (s, c), \(s, c \in {\mathbb {N}}\), if there is a collection \(\mathcal {C}\) of completely regular cliques of size \(s+1\) such that every edge is contained in exactly c members of \(\mathcal {C}\). It is known that many families of distance-regular graphs are completely regular clique graphs. In this paper, we determine completely regular clique graph structures, i.e., the choices of \(\mathcal {C}\), of all known families of distance-regular graphs with unbounded diameter. In particular, we show that all distance-regular graphs in this category are completely regular clique graphs except the Doob graphs, the twisted Grassmann graphs and the Hermitean forms graphs. We also determine parameters (s, c); however, in a few cases we determine only s and give a bound on the value c. Our result is a generalization of a series of works by J. Hemmeter and others who determined distance-regular graphs in this category that are bipartite halves of bipartite distance-regular graphs.     

Feasibility conditions for the existence of walk-regular graphs

A graph X is walk-regular if the vertex-deleted subgraphs of X all have the same characteristic polynomial. Examples of such graphs are vertex-transitive graphs and distance-regular graphs. We show that the usual feasibility conditions for the existence of a distance-regular graph with a given intersection array can be extended so that they apply to walk-regular graphs. Despite the greater generality, our proofs are more elementary than those usually given for distance-regular graphs. An application to the computation of vertex-transitive graphs is described.     

Antipodal covers of distance-transitive generalized polygons

In an earlier paper, the first two authors found all distance-regular antipodal covers of all known primitive distance-transitive graphs of diameter at least 3 with one possible exception. That remaining case is resolved here with the proof that a primitive and distance-transitive collinearity graph of a finite generalized 2d-gon with \(d\ge 3\) has no distance-regular antipodal cover of diameter 2d.     

The spectral excess theorem for distance-regular graphs having distance-<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis> graph with fewer distinct eigenvalues

Let \(\Gamma \) be a distance-regular graph with diameter d and Kneser graph \(K=\Gamma _d\), the distance-d graph of \(\Gamma \). We say that \(\Gamma \) is partially antipodal when K has fewer distinct eigenvalues than \(\Gamma \). In particular, this is the case of antipodal distance-regular graphs (K with only two distinct eigenvalues) and the so-called half-antipodal distance-regular graphs (K with only one negative eigenvalue). We provide a characterization of partially antipodal distance-regular graphs (among regular graphs with \(d+1\) distinct eigenvalues) in terms of the spectrum and the mean number of vertices at maximal distance d from every vertex. This can be seen as a more general version of the so-called spectral excess theorem, which allows us to characterize those distance-regular graphs which are half-antipodal, antipodal, bipartite, or with Kneser graph being strongly regular.     

On the Metric Dimension of Imprimitive Distance-Regular Graphs

A resolving set for a graph \({\Gamma}\) is a collection of vertices S, chosen so that for each vertex v, the list of distances from v to the members of S uniquely specifies v. The metric dimension of \({\Gamma}\) is the smallest size of a resolving set for \({\Gamma}\). Much attention has been paid to the metric dimension of distance-regular graphs. Work of Babai from the early 1980s yields general bounds on the metric dimension of primitive distance-regular graphs in terms of their parameters. We show how the metric dimension of an imprimitive distance-regular graph can be related to that of its halved and folded graphs. We also consider infinite families (including Taylor graphs and the incidence graphs of certain symmetric designs) where more precise results are possible.     

On almost distance-regular graphs

Distance-regular graphs are a key concept in Algebraic Combinatorics and have given rise to several generalizations, such as association schemes. Motivated by spectral and other algebraic characterizations of distance-regular graphs, we study ‘almost distance-regular graphs’. We use this name informally for graphs that share some regularity properties that are related to distance in the graph. For example, a known characterization of a distance-regular graph is the invariance of the number of walks of given length between vertices at a given distance, while a graph is called walk-regular if the number of closed walks of given length rooted at any given vertex is a constant. One of the concepts studied here is a generalization of both distance-regularity and walk-regularity called m-walk-regularity. Another studied concept is that of m-partial distance-regularity or, informally, distance-regularity up to distance m. Using eigenvalues of graphs and the predistance polynomials, we discuss and relate these and other concepts of almost distance-regularity, such as their common generalization of (?,m)-walk-regularity. We introduce the concepts of punctual distance-regularity and punctual walk-regularity as a fundament upon which almost distance-regular graphs are built. We provide examples that are mostly taken from the Foster census, a collection of symmetric cubic graphs. Two problems are posed that are related to the question of when almost distance-regular becomes whole distance-regular. We also give several characterizations of punctually distance-regular graphs that are generalizations of the spectral excess theorem.     

Geometric aspects of 2-walk-regular graphs

A t-walk-regular graph is a graph for which the number of walks of given length between two vertices depends only on the distance between these two vertices, as long as this distance is at most t. Such graphs generalize distance-regular graphs and t-arc-transitive graphs. In this paper, we will focus on 1- and in particular 2-walk-regular graphs, and study analogues of certain results that are important for distance-regular graphs. We will generalize Delsarte?s clique bound to 1-walk-regular graphs, Godsil?s multiplicity bound and Terwilliger?s analysis of the local structure to 2-walk-regular graphs. We will show that 2-walk-regular graphs have a much richer combinatorial structure than 1-walk-regular graphs, for example by proving that there are finitely many non-geometric 2-walk-regular graphs with given smallest eigenvalue and given diameter (a geometric graph is the point graph of a special partial linear space); a result that is analogous to a result on distance-regular graphs. Such a result does not hold for 1-walk-regular graphs, as our construction methods will show.     

The diameter of bipartite distance-regular graphs

It is shown that any bipartite distance-regular graph with finite valency k and at least one cycle is finite, with diameter d and girth g satisfying $\text{d≤}\text{(k?1)(g?2)}\text{2+1}$. In particular, the number of bipartite distance-regular graphs with fixed valency and girth is finite.     

Relative difference sets fixed by inversion and Cayley graphs

Using graph theoretical technique, we present a construction of a (30,2,29,14)-relative difference set fixed by inversion in the smallest finite simple group—the alternating group A₅. To our knowledge this is the first example known of relative difference sets in the finite simple groups with a non-trivial forbidden subgroup. A connection is then established between some relative difference sets fixed by inversion and certain antipodal distance-regular Cayley graphs. With the connection, several families of antipodal distance-regular Cayley graphs which are coverings of complete graphs are presented.     

On extensions of exceptional strongly regular graphs with eigenvalue 3

The study of distance-regular graphs in which neighborhoods of vertices are strongly regular graphs with eigenvalue 3 was initiated by Makhnev. In particular, he reduced these graphs to graphs in which neighborhoods of vertices are exceptional graphs or pseudogeometric graphs for pG _s?3(s, t). Makhnev and Paduchikh found parameters of exceptional graphs (see the proposition). In the present paper, we study amply regular graphs in which neighborhoods of vertices are exceptional strongly regular graphs with nonprincipal eigenvalue 3 and parameters from conditions 3–6 of the Proposition.     

Arc-transitive distance-regular covers of cliques with <Emphasis Type="Italic">λ</Emphasis> = µ

We study antipodal distance-regular graphs of diameter 3 such that their automorphism group acts transitively on the set of pairs (a, b), where {a, b} is an edge of the graph. Since the automorphism group of such graphs acts 2-transitively on the set of antipodal classes, the classification of 2-transitive permutation groups can be used. We classify arc-transitive distance-regular graphs of diameter 3 in which any two vertices at distance at most two have exactly µ common neighbors.     

On the non-existence of perfect and nearly perfect codes

The main result of the paper is the proof of the non-existence of a class of completely regular codes in certain distance-regular graphs. Corollaries of this result establish the non-existence of perfect and nearly perfect codes in the infinite families of distance-regular graphs J(2b + 1, b) and J(2b+2,b).     

Distance regularity in direct-product graphs

The direct product (also called Kronecker product, tensor product, and cardinal product) G × H of distance-regular graphs is investigated. It is demonstrated that the product is distance-regular only when G and H are very restricted distance-regular graphs.     

Classification of subsets with minimal width and dual width in Grassmann, bilinear forms and dual polar graphs

Brouwer, Godsil, Koolen and Martin [Width and dual width of subsets in polynomial association schemes, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 102 (2003) 255-271] introduced the width w and the dual width w^* of a subset in a distance-regular graph and in a cometric association scheme, respectively, and then derived lower bounds on these new parameters. For instance, subsets with the property w+w^*=d in a cometric distance-regular graph with diameter d attain these bounds. In this paper, we classify subsets with this property in Grassmann graphs, bilinear forms graphs and dual polar graphs. We use this information to establish the Erd?s-Ko-Rado theorem in full generality for the first two families of graphs.     

On the Van Vleck theorem for limit-periodic continued fractions of general form

J. Koolen posed the problem of studying distance-regular graphs in which neighborhoods of vertices are strongly regular graphs with nonprincipal eigenvalue at most t for a given positive integer t. This problem was solved earlier for t = 3. In the case t = 4, the problem was reduced to studying graphs in which neighborhoods of vertices have parameters (352,26,0,2), (352,36,0,4), (243,22,1,2), (729,112,1,20), (204,28,2,4), (232,33,2,5), (676,108,2,20), (85,14,3,2), or (325,54,3,10). In the present paper, we prove that a distance-regular graph in which neighborhoods of vertices are strongly regular with parameters (85, 14, 3, 2) or (325, 54, 3, 10) has intersection array {85, 70, 1; 1, 14, 85} or {325, 270, 1; 1, 54, 325}. In addition, we find possible automorphisms of a graph with intersection array {85, 70, 1; 1, 14, 85}.     

Distance mean-regular graphs

We introduce the concept of distance mean-regular graph, which can be seen as a generalization of both vertex-transitive and distance-regular graphs. Let \(\Gamma \) be a graph with vertex set V, diameter D, adjacency matrix \(\varvec{A}\), and adjacency algebra \(\mathcal{A}\). Then, \(\Gamma \) is distance mean-regular when, for a given \(u\in V\), the averages of the intersection numbers \(p_{ij}^h(u,v)=|\Gamma _i(u)\cap \Gamma _j(v)|\) (number of vertices at distance i from u and distance j from v) computed over all vertices v at a given distance \(h\in \{0,1,\ldots ,D\}\) from u, do not depend on u. In this work we study some properties and characterizations of these graphs. For instance, it is shown that a distance mean-regular graph is always distance degree-regular, and we give a condition for the converse to be also true. Some algebraic and spectral properties of distance mean-regular graphs are also investigated. We show that, for distance mean regular-graphs, the role of the distance matrices of distance-regular graphs is played for the so-called distance mean-regular matrices. These matrices are computed from a sequence of orthogonal polynomials evaluated at the adjacency matrix of \(\Gamma \) and, hence, they generate a subalgebra of \(\mathcal{A}\). Some other algebras associated to distance mean-regular graphs are also characterized.     

Edge-distance-regular graphs

Edge-distance-regularity is a concept recently introduced by the authors which is similar to that of distance-regularity, but now the graph is seen from each of its edges instead of from its vertices. More precisely, a graph Γ with adjacency matrix A is edge-distance-regular when it is distance-regular around each of its edges and with the same intersection numbers for any edge taken as a root. In this paper we study this concept, give some of its properties, such as the regularity of Γ, and derive some characterizations. In particular, it is shown that a graph is edge-distance-regular if and only if its k-incidence matrix is a polynomial of degree k in A multiplied by the (standard) incidence matrix. Also, the analogue of the spectral excess theorem for distance-regular graphs is proved, so giving a quasi-spectral characterization of edge-distance-regularity. Finally, it is shown that every nonbipartite graph which is both distance-regular and edge-distance-regular is a generalized odd graph.     

On perturbations of almost distance-regular graphs

In this paper we show that certain almost distance-regular graphs, the so-called h-punctually walk-regular graphs, can be characterized through the cospectrality of their perturbed graphs. A graph G with diameter D is called h-punctually walk-regular, for a given h≤D, if the number of paths of length ? between a pair of vertices u,v at distance h depends only on ?. The graph perturbations considered here are deleting a vertex, adding a loop, adding a pendant edge, adding/removing an edge, amalgamating vertices, and adding a bridging vertex. We show that for walk-regular graphs some of these operations are equivalent, in the sense that one perturbation produces cospectral graphs if and only if the others do. Our study is based on the theory of graph perturbations developed by Cvetkovi?, Godsil, McKay, Rowlinson, Schwenk, and others. As a consequence, some new characterizations of distance-regular graphs are obtained.     

On Subgraphs in Distance-Regular Graphs

Terwilliger [15] has given the diameter bound d (s – 1)(k – 1) + 1 for distance-regular graphs with girth 2s and valency k. We show that the only distance-regular graphs with even girth which reach this bound are the hypercubes and the doubled Odd graphs. Also we improve this bound for bipartite distance-regular graphs. Weichsel [17] conjectures that the only distance-regular subgraphs of a hypercube are the even polygons, the hypercubes and the doubled Odd graphs and proves this in the case of girth 4. We show that the only distance-regular subgraphs of a hypercube with girth 6 are the doubled Odd graphs. If the girth is equal to 8, then its valency is at most 12.