On transitive decompositions of disconnected graphs

We investigate transitive decompositions of disconnected graphs, and show that these behave very differently from a related class of algebraic graph decompositions, known as homogeneous factorisations. We conclude that although the study of homogeneous factorisations admits a natural reduction to those cases where the graph is connected, the study of transitive decompositions does not.     

Optimally super-edge-connected transitive graphs

Let X=(V,E) be a connected regular graph. X is said to be super-edge-connected if every minimum edge cut of X is a set of edges incident with some vertex. The restricted edge connectivity λ′(X) of X is the minimum number of edges whose removal disconnects X into non-trivial components. A super-edge-connected k-regular graph is said to be optimally super-edge-connected if its restricted edge connectivity attains the maximum 2k−2. In this paper, we define the λ′-atoms of graphs with respect to restricted edge connectivity and show that if X is a k-regular k-edge-connected graph whose λ′-atoms have size at least 3, then any two distinct λ′-atoms are disjoint. Using this property, we characterize the super-edge-connected or optimally super-edge-connected transitive graphs and Cayley graphs. In particular, we classify the optimally super-edge-connected quasiminimal Cayley graphs and Cayley graphs of diameter 2. As a consequence, we show that almost all Cayley graphs are optimally super-edge-connected.     

Decomposing oriented graphs into transitive tournaments

For an oriented graph G with n vertices, let f(G) denote the minimum number of transitive subtournaments that decompose G. We prove several results on f(G). In particular, if G is a tournament then and there are tournaments for which f(G)>n²/3000. For general G we prove that f(G)?⌊n²/3⌋ and this is tight. Some related parameters are also considered.     

Locally 2‐arc transitive graphs,homogeneous factorizations,and partial linear spaces

We establish natural bijections between three different classes of combinatorial objects; namely certain families of locally 2‐arc transitive graphs, partial linear spaces, and homogeneous factorizations of arc‐transitive graphs. Moreover, the bijections intertwine the actions of the relevant automorphism groups. Thus constructions in any of these areas provide examples for the others. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 14: 139–148, 2006     

On roughly transitive amenable graphs and harmonic Dirichlet functions

We introduce the notion of rough transitivity and prove that there exist no non-constant harmonic Dirichlet functions on amenable roughly transitive graphs.

     

A new class of transitive graphs

Let n and k be integers with n≥k≥0. This paper presents a new class of graphs H(n,k), which contains hypercubes and some well-known graphs, such as Johnson graphs, Kneser graphs and Petersen graph, as its subgraphs. The authors present some results of algebraic and topological properties of H(n,k). For example, H(n,k) is a Cayley graph, the automorphism group of H(n,k) contains a subgroup of order 2ⁿn! and H(n,k) has a maximal connectivity and is hamiltonian if k is odd; it consists of two isomorphic connected components if k is even. Moreover, the diameter of H(n,k) is determined if k is odd.     

On automorphism groups of quasiprimitive 2-arc transitive graphs

We characterize the automorphism groups of quasiprimitive 2-arc-transitive graphs of twisted wreath product type. This is a partial solution for a problem of Praeger regarding quasiprimitive 2-arc transitive graphs. The solution stimulates several further research problems regarding automorphism groups of edge-transitive Cayley graphs and digraphs. This work forms part of an ARC grant project and is supported by a QEII Fellowship.     

On fixity of arc-transitive graphs

Science China Mathematics - The relative fixity of a permutation group is the maximum proportion of the points fixed by a non-trivial element of the group, and the relative fixity of a graph is the...     

On one-factorizations of compositions of graphs

Let G[H] denote the composition of the graphs G and H. If G can be decomposed into one-factors and two-factors, H can be decomposed into one-factors, and H is not the empty graph on an odd number of vertices, then G[H] can be decomposed into one-factors.     

Locally s‐distance transitive graphs

We give a unified approach to analyzing, for each positive integer s, a class of finite connected graphs that contains all the distance transitive graphs as well as the locally s‐arc transitive graphs of diameter at least s. A graph is in the class if it is connected and if, for each vertex v, the subgroup of automorphisms fixing v acts transitively on the set of vertices at distance i from v, for each i from 1 to s. We prove that this class is closed under forming normal quotients. Several graphs in the class are designated as degenerate, and a nondegenerate graph in the class is called basic if all its nontrivial normal quotients are degenerate. We prove that, for s≥2, a nondegenerate, nonbasic graph in the class is either a complete multipartite graph or a normal cover of a basic graph. We prove further that, apart from the complete bipartite graphs, each basic graph admits a faithful quasiprimitive action on each of its (1 or 2) vertex‐orbits or a biquasiprimitive action. These results invite detailed additional analysis of the basic graphs using the theory of quasiprimitive permutation groups. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 69:176‐197, 2012     

On 2‐factorizations of the complete graph: From the k‐pyramidal to the universal property

We consider 2‐factorizations of complete graphs that possess an automorphism group fixing k?0 vertices and acting sharply transitively on the others. We study the structures of such factorizations and consider the cases in which the group is either abelian or dihedral in some more details. Combining results of the first part of the paper with a result of D. Bryant, J Combin Des, 12 (2004), 147–155, we prove that the class of 2‐factorizations of complete graphs is universal. Namely each finite group is the full automorphism group of a 2‐factorization of the class. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 17: 211‐228, 2009     

On density of transitive operator algebras

In this paper we study the transitive algebra question by considering the invariant subspace problem relative to von Neumann algebras. We prove that the algebra (not necessarily ∗) generated by a pair of sums of two unitary generators of L(F_∞) and its commutant is strong-operator dense in B(H). The relations between the transitive algebra question and the invariant subspace problem relative to some von Neumann algebras are discussed.     

An algorithm for finding factorizations of complete graphs

We show how to find a decomposition of the edge set of the complete graph into regular factors where the degree and edge‐connectivity of each factor is prescribed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 43: 132–136, 2003     

Free groups and ends of graphs

Let X be a connected graph. An automorphism of X is said to be parabolic if it leaves no finite subset of vertices in X invariant and fixes precisely one end of X and hyperbolic if it leaves no finite subset of vertices in X invariant and fixes precisely two ends of X. Various questions concerning dynamics of parabolic and hyperbolic automorphisms are discussed.The set of ends which are fixed by some hyperbolic element of a group G acting on X is denoted by ?(G). If G contains a hyperbolic automorphism of X and G fixes no end of X, then G contains a free subgroup F such that ?(F) is dense in ?(G) with respect to the natural topology on the ends of X.As an application we obtain the following: A group which acts transitively on a connected graph and fixes no end has a free subgroup whose directions are dense in the end boundary.     

The locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type

In this paper, seven families of vertex-intransitive locally (G,2)-arc transitive graphs are constructed, where Sz(q)?G?Aut(Sz(q)), q=²2k+1 for some k∈N. It is then shown that for any graph Γ in one of these families, Sz(q)?Aut(Γ)?Aut(Sz(q)) and that the only locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type whose vertices all have valency at least three are (i) graphs in these seven families, (ii) (vertex transitive) 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type, or (iii) double covers of the graphs in (ii). Since the graphs in (ii) have been classified by Fang and Praeger (1999) [6], this completes the classification of locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting a Suzuki simple group     

Number of minimum vertex cuts in transitive graphs

Let G be a k-regular vertex transitive graph with connectivity κ(G)=k and let m_k(G) be the number of vertex cuts with k vertices. Define m(n,k)=min{m_k(G): GT_n,k}, where T_n,k denotes the set of all k-regular vertex transitive graphs on n vertices with κ(G)=k. In this paper, we determine the exact values of m(n,k).     

Multifold factorizations of cyclic groups into subsets

Let $(G,+)$ be an abelian group. A finite multiset A over G is said to give a λ-fold factorization of G if there exists a multiset B over G such that each element of G occurs λ times in the multiset $A+B:=\{a+b:a\in A,b\in B\}$. In this article, restricting G to a cyclic group, we will provide sufficient conditions on a given multiset A under which the exact value or an upper bound of the minimum multiplicity λ of a factorization of G can be given by introducing a concept of ‘lcm-closure’. Furthermore, a couple of properties on a given factor A will be shown when A has a prime or prime power order (cardinality). A relation to multifold factorizations of the set of integers will be also glanced at a general perspective.