The spectral radius of the Galois covering of a finite graph (Q1183137)

Let \(\pi:\Delta\to\Delta'\) be a graph morphism that is surjective for edges, and let \(G\) be a group whose action on \(\Delta\) is fixpoint free. Then \(\pi\) is called a Galois covering defined by \(G\) if for all \(g\in G\), \(x\in V(\Delta)\), \(e\in E(\Delta)\) one has \(\pi g=\pi\), \(\pi^{- 1}\pi(x)=Gx\), and \(\pi^{-1}\pi(e)=Ge\). Let \(r(\Delta)\) denote \(\sup\{\|\lambda\|:\lambda\) is an eigenvalue of the adjacency matrices of \(\Delta\}\). It is first established that \(r(\Delta)\leq r(\Delta')\leq[r(\Delta)]^ 2\) for any Galois covering \(\pi:\Delta\to\Delta'\), and then numerous conditions are given, each of which is sufficient for \(r(\Delta)=r(\Delta')\) to hold. A sample of these are (1) \(\Delta\) is finite; (2) \(G\) is finite: (3) \(\Delta'\) is finite and \(G\) is ``amenable'' (i.e., \(G\) admits a Cayley graph whose isoperimetric constant is 0); (4) \(G\) has polynomial growth.