Generalized cages (Q2341070)

Summary: Let \(2 \leq k_1 k_2 \dots k_t \), \(3 \leq g_1 g_2 \dots g_s N\) be integer parameters. A \((k_1,k_2,\dots,k_t;g_1,g_2,\dots,g_s;N)\)-graph is a graph that contains vertices of degrees \(k_1,k_2,\dots,k_t\) but no other degrees and cycles of lengths \(g_1,g_2,\dots,g_s\) but no other cycles of length \( N\). For any given set of parameters satisfying the above conditions, we present an explicit construction of \((k_1,k_2,\dots,k_t;g_1,g_2,\dots,g_s;N)\)-graphs and extend the concept of a cage (a smallest graph of given degree and girth) to that of a generalized cage -- a smallest \((k_1,k_2,\dots,k_t;g_1,g_2,\dots,g_s;N)\)-graph. We introduce several infinite families of generalized cages and study their basic properties in the context of connected, bipartite, and vertex-transitive graphs, as well as combinatorial configurations (in the context of multilaterals).