Graphs and recursively defined towers of function fields

In this paper we state and explore a connection between graph theory and the theory of recursively defined towers. This leads, among other things, to a generalization of Lenstra's identity (Finite Fields Appl. 8 (2001) 166) and the solution of an open problem concerning the Deuring polynomial posed in (J. Reine Angew. Math. 557 (2003) 53). Further we investigate the effect extension of the constant field has on the limit of certain towers.