Zero-Divisor Graphs for Group Rings

Let R be a commutative ring with 1 ≠ 0, G be a nontrivial finite group, and let Z(R) be the set of zero divisors of R. The zero-divisor graph of R is defined as the graph Γ(R) whose vertex set is Z(R)* = Z(R)?{0} and two distinct vertices a and b are adjacent if and only if ab = 0. In this paper, we investigate the interplay between the ring-theoretic properties of group rings RG and the graph-theoretic properties of Γ(RG). We characterize finite commutative group rings RG for which either diam(Γ(RG)) ≤2 or gr(Γ(RG)) ≥4. Also, we investigate the isomorphism problem for zero-divisor graphs of group rings. First, we show that the rank and the cardinality of a finite abelian p-group are determined by the zero-divisor graph of its modular group ring. With the notion of zero-divisor graphs extended to noncommutative rings, it is also shown that two finite semisimple group rings are isomorphic if and only if their zero-divisor graphs are isomorphic. Finally, we show that finite noncommutative reversible group rings are determined by their zero-divisor graphs.     

On the diameter and girth of a zero-divisor graph

For a commutative ring R with zero-divisors Z(R), the zero-divisor graph of R is Γ(R)=Z(R)−{0}, with distinct vertices x and y adjacent if and only if xy=0. In this paper, we characterize when either or . We then use these results to investigate the diameter and girth for the zero-divisor graphs of polynomial rings, power series rings, and idealizations.     

Some Remarks on the Graph Γ I (R)

Let R be a commutative ring with nonzero identity and Z(R) its set of zero-divisors. The zero-divisor graph of R is Γ(R), with vertices Z(R)?{0} and distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if xy = 0. For a proper ideal I of R, the ideal-based zero-divisor graph of R is Γ _I (R), with vertices {x ∈ R?I | xy ∈ I for some y ∈ R?I} and distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if xy ∈ I. In this article, we study the relationship between the two graphs Γ(R) and Γ _I (R). We also determine when Γ _I (R) is either a complete graph or a complete bipartite graph and investigate when Γ _I (R) ? Γ(S) for some commutative ring S.     

The Compressed Annihilator Graph of a Commutative Ring

Let R be a commutative ring. In this paper, we introduce and study the compressed annihilator graph of R. The compressed annihilator graph of R is the graph AG_E(R), whose vertices are equivalence classes of zero-divisors of R and two distinct vertices [x] and [y] are adjacent if and only if ann(x)∪ann(y) ? ann(xy). For a reduced ring R, we show that compressed annihilator graph of R is identical to the compressed zero-divisor graph of R if and only if 0 is a 2-absorbing ideal of R. As a consequence, we show that an Artinian ring R is either local or reduced whenever 0 is a 2-absorbing ideal of R.     

Cut Vertices and Degree One Vertices of Zero-Divisor Graphs

This article continues to examine cut vertices in the zero-divisor graphs of commutative rings with 1. The main result is that, with only seven known exceptions, the zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring has a cut vertex if and only if the graph has a degree one vertex. This naturally leads to an examination of the degree one vertices of zero-divisor graphs.     

On Beck’s coloring of posets

We study Beck-like coloring of partially ordered sets (posets) with a least element 0. To any poset P with 0 we assign a graph (called a zero-divisor graph) whose vertices are labelled by the elements of P with two vertices x,y adjacent if 0 is the only element lying below x and y. We prove that for such graphs, the chromatic number and the clique number coincide. Also, we give a condition under which posets are not finitely colorable.     

Some results on the annihilator graph of a commutative ring

Let R be a commutative ring. The annihilator graph of R, denoted by AG(R), is the undirected graph with all nonzero zero-divisors of R as vertex set, and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if ann _R (xy) ≠ ann _R (x) ∪ ann _R (y), where for z ∈ R, ann _R (z) = {r ∈ R: rz = 0}. In this paper, we characterize all finite commutative rings R with planar or outerplanar or ring-graph annihilator graphs. We characterize all finite commutative rings R whose annihilator graphs have clique number 1, 2 or 3. Also, we investigate some properties of the annihilator graph under the extension of R to polynomial rings and rings of fractions. For instance, we show that the graphs AG(R) and AG(T(R)) are isomorphic, where T(R) is the total quotient ring of R. Moreover, we investigate some properties of the annihilator graph of the ring of integers modulo n, where n ? 1.     

The Zero-Divisor Graphs Which Are Uniquely Determined By Neighborhoods

A nonempty simple connected graph G is called a uniquely determined graph, if distinct vertices of G have distinct neighborhoods. We prove that if R is a commutative ring, then Γ(R) is uniquely determined if and only if either R is a Boolean ring or T(R) is a local ring with x² = 0 for any x ∈ Z(R), where T(R) is the total quotient ring of R. We determine all the corresponding rings with characteristic p for any finite complete graph, and in particular, give all the corresponding rings of K_n if n + 1 = p^q for some primes p, q. Finally, we show that a graph G with more than two vertices has a unique corresponding zero-divisor semigroup if G is a zero-divisor graph of some Boolean ring.     

Annihilator Ideal-Based Zero-Divisor Graphs Over Multiplication Modules

For a commutative ring R with identity, an ideal-based zero-divisor graph, denoted by Γ _I (R), is the graph whose vertices are {x ∈ R?I | xy ∈ I for some y ∈ R?I}, and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if xy ∈ I. In this article, we investigate an annihilator ideal-based zero-divisor graph by replacing the ideal I with the annihilator ideal Ann(M) for a multiplication R-module M. Based on the above-mentioned definition, we examine some properties of an R-module over a von Neumann regular ring, and the cardinality of an R-module associated with Γ _Ann(M)(R).     

Zero-Divisor Semigroups and Some Simple Graphs

In this article, we study commutative zero-divisor semigroups determined by graphs. We prove that for all n ≥ 4, the complete graph K _n together with two end vertices has a unique corresponding zero-divisor semigroup, while the complete graph K _n together with three end vertices has no corresponding semigroups. We determine all the twenty zero-divisor semigroups whose zero-divisor graphs are the complete graph K ₃ together with an end vertex.     

On the Annihilator Graph of a Commutative Ring

Let R be a commutative ring with nonzero identity, Z(R) be its set of zero-divisors, and if a ∈ Z(R), then let ann _R (a) = {d ∈ R | da = 0}. The annihilator graph of R is the (undirected) graph AG(R) with vertices Z(R)* = Z(R)?{0}, and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if ann _R (xy) ≠ ann _R (x) ∪ ann _R (y). It follows that each edge (path) of the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) is an edge (path) of AG(R). In this article, we study the graph AG(R). For a commutative ring R, we show that AG(R) is connected with diameter at most two and with girth at most four provided that AG(R) has a cycle. Among other things, for a reduced commutative ring R, we show that the annihilator graph AG(R) is identical to the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) if and only if R has exactly two minimal prime ideals.     

Zero-divisor graphs, von Neumann regular rings, and Boolean algebras

For a commutative ring R with set of zero-divisors Z(R), the zero-divisor graph of R is Γ(R)=Z(R)−{0}, with distinct vertices x and y adjacent if and only if xy=0. In this paper, we show that Γ(T(R)) and Γ(R) are isomorphic as graphs, where T(R) is the total quotient ring of R, and that Γ(R) is uniquely complemented if and only if either T(R) is von Neumann regular or Γ(R) is a star graph. We also investigate which cardinal numbers can arise as orders of equivalence classes (related to annihilator conditions) in a von Neumann regular ring.     

On the Dot Product Graph of a Commutative Ring

Let A be a commutative ring with nonzero identity, 1 ≤ n < ∞ be an integer, and R = A × A × … ×A (n times). The total dot product graph of R is the (undirected) graph TD(R) with vertices R* = R?{(0, 0,…, 0)}, and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if x·y = 0 ∈ A (where x·y denote the normal dot product of x and y). Let Z(R) denote the set of all zero-divisors of R. Then the zero-divisor dot product graph of R is the induced subgraph ZD(R) of TD(R) with vertices Z(R)* = Z(R)?{(0, 0,…, 0)}. It follows that each edge (path) of the classical zero-divisor graph Γ(R) is an edge (path) of ZD(R). We observe that if n = 1, then TD(R) is a disconnected graph and ZD(R) is identical to the well-known zero-divisor graph of R in the sense of Beck–Anderson–Livingston, and hence it is connected. In this paper, we study both graphs TD(R) and ZD(R). For a commutative ring A and n ≥ 3, we show that TD(R) (ZD(R)) is connected with diameter two (at most three) and with girth three. Among other things, for n ≥ 2, we show that ZD(R) is identical to the zero-divisor graph of R if and only if either n = 2 and A is an integral domain or R is ring-isomorphic to ?₂ × ?₂ × ?₂.     

The Zero-Divisor Graph Associated to a Semigroup

The zero-divisor graph of a commutative semigroup with zero is the graph whose vertices are the nonzero zero-divisors of the semigroup, with two distinct vertices adjacent if the product of the corresponding elements is zero. New criteria to identify zero-divisor graphs are derived using both graph-theoretic and algebraic methods. We find the lowest bound on the number of edges necessary to guarantee a graph is a zero-divisor graph. In addition, the removal or addition of vertices to a zero-divisor graph is investigated by using equivalence relations and quotient sets. We also prove necessary and sufficient conditions for determining when regular graphs and complete graphs with more than two triangles attached are zero-divisor graphs. Lastly, we classify several graph structures that satisfy all known necessary conditions but are not zero-divisor graphs.     

On bipartite zero-divisor graphs

A (finite or infinite) complete bipartite graph together with some end vertices all adjacent to a common vertex is called a complete bipartite graph with a horn. For any bipartite graph G, we show that G is the graph of a commutative semigroup with 0 if and only if it is one of the following graphs: star graph, two-star graph, complete bipartite graph, complete bipartite graph with a horn. We also prove that a zero-divisor graph is bipartite if and only if it contains no triangles. In addition, we give all corresponding zero-divisor semigroups of a class of complete bipartite graphs with a horn and determine which complete r-partite graphs with a horn have a corresponding semigroup for r≥3.     

Smarandache Vertices of the Graphs Associated to the Commutative Rings

Let R be a commutative ring with identity 1 ≠ 0. A nonzero element a in R is said to be a Smarandache zero-divisor if there exist three different nonzero elements x, y, and b (≠ a) in R such that ax = ab = by = 0, but xy ≠ 0. We will generalize this notion to the Smarandache vertex of an arbitrary simple graph and characterize the Smarandache zero-divisors of commutative rings (resp. with respect to an ideal) via their associated zero-divisor graphs. We illustrate them with examples and prove some interesting results about them.     

Commutative Rings Whose Cozero-Divisor Graphs are Unicyclic or of Bounded Degree

Let R be a commutative ring with unity. The cozero-divisor graph of R, denoted by Γ′(R), is a graph with vertex set W*(R), where W*(R) is the set of all nonzero and nonunit elements of R, and two distinct vertices a and b are adjacent if and only if a ? Rb and b ? Ra, where Rc is the ideal generated by the element c in R. Recently, it has been proved that for every nonlocal finite ring R, Γ′(R) is a unicyclic graph if and only if R ? ?₂ × ?₄, ?₃ × ?₃, ?₂ × ?₂[x]/(x ²). We generalize the aforementioned result by showing that for every commutative ring R, Γ′(R) is a unicyclic graph if and only if R ? ?₂ × ?₄, ?₃ × ?₃, ?₂ × ?₂[x]/(x ²), ?₂[x, y]/(x, y)², ?₄[x]/(2x, x ²). We prove that for every positive integer Δ, the set of all commutative nonlocal rings with maximum degree at most Δ is finite. Also, we classify all rings whose cozero-divisor graph has maximum degree 3. Among other results, it is shown that for every commutative ring R, gr(Γ′(R)) ∈ {3, 4, ∞}.     

Zero-Divisor Graphs of Matrices Over Commutative Rings

We investigate the properties of (directed) zero-divisor graphs of matrix rings. Then we use these results to discuss the relation between the diameter of the zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring R and that of the matrix ring M _n (R).