Maximizing the signless Laplacian spectral radius of some theta graphs

TL;DR

This paper investigates the maximum signless Laplacian spectral radius of certain graphs, establishing bounds for theta-free graphs and identifying extremal graphs that achieve these bounds.

Contribution

It introduces new bounds on the spectral radius for theta-free graphs and characterizes the extremal graphs attaining these bounds.

Findings

Max spectral radius for theta(1,2,2)-free graphs is achieved by the friendship graph.

Max spectral radius for theta(1,2,3)-free graphs is achieved by S_{n,2}.

Max spectral radius for graphs free of theta(1,2,2) and F_5 is achieved by S_{n,1}^{+}.

Abstract

Let $Q(G)=D(G)+A(G)$ be the signless Laplacian matrix of a simple graph $G$, where $D(G)$ and $A(G)$ are the degree diagonal matrix and the adjacency matrix of $G$, respectively. The largest eigenvalue of $Q(G)$, denoted by $q(G)$, is called the signless Laplacian spectral radius of $G$. Let $\theta(l_{1},l_{2},l_{3})$ denote the theta graph which consists of two vertices connected by three internally disjoint paths with length $l_{1}$, $l_{2}$ and $l_{3}$. Let $F_{n}$ be the friendship graph consisting of $\frac{n-1}{2}$ triangles which intersect in exactly one common vertex for odd $n\geq3$ and obtained by hanging an edge to the center of $F_{n-1}$ for even $n\geq4$. Let $S_{n,k}$ denote the graph obtained by joining each vertex of $K_{k}$ to $n-k$ isolated vertices. Let $S_{n,k}^{+}$ denote the graph obtained by adding an edge to the two isolated vertices of $S_{n,k}$. In this paper, firstly, we show that if $G$ is $\theta(1,2,2)$-free, then $q(G)\leq q(F_{n})$, unless $G\cong F_{n}$. Secondly, we show that if $G$ is $\theta(1,2,3)$-free, then $q(G)\leq q(S_{n,2})$, unless $G\cong S_{n,2}$. Finally, we show that if $G$ is $\{\theta(1,2,2),F_{5}\}$-free, then $q(G)\leq q(S_{n,1}^{+})$, unless $G\cong S_{n,1}^{+}$.