On the Algebraic Connectivity of Token Graphs and Graphs under Perturbations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the algebraic connectivity of token graphs and their perturbations, extending known results to new classes of graphs and providing combinatorial proofs for eigenvalue equalities.

Contribution

It offers a combinatorial proof that algebraic connectivity is preserved under certain perturbations for classes like extended cycles, kite graphs, and graphs with a cut clique.

Findings

Algebraic connectivity of $G$ and $F_k(G)$ coincide for new graph classes.

Eigenvalues of kite graphs are preserved under specific edge additions.

Conditions identified for $G+uv$ to maintain algebraic connectivity.

Abstract

Given a graph $G=(V,E)$ on $n$ vertices and an integer $k$ between 1 and $n-1$, the $k$-token graph $F_k(G)$ has vertices representing the $k$-subsets of $V$, and two vertices are adjacent if their symmetric difference is the two end-vertices of an edge in $E$. Using the theory of Markov chains of random walks and the interchange process, it was proved that the algebraic connectivities (second smallest Laplacian eigenvalues) of $G$ and $F_k(G)$ coincide, but a combinatorial/algebraic proof has been shown elusive. In this paper, we use the latter approach and prove that such equality holds for different new classes of graphs under perturbations, such as extended cycles, extended complete bipartite graphs, kite graphs, and graphs with a cut clique. Kite graphs are formed by a graph (head) with several paths (tail) rooted at the same vertex and with exciting properties. For instance, we show that the different eigenvalues of a kite graph are also eigenvalues of its perturbed graph obtained by adding edges. Moreover, as a particular case of one of our theorems, we generalize a recent result of Barik and Verma \cite{bv24} about graphs with a cut vertex of degree $n-1$. Along the way, we give conditions under which the perturbed graph $G+uv$, with $uv\in E$, has the same algebraic connectivity as $G$.