Spectra of weighted uniform hypertrees (Q2144325)

Summary: Let \(T\) be a \(k\)-tree equipped with a weighting function \(\mathfrak{w}: V(T)\cup E(T) \rightarrow \mathbb{C}\), where \(k\geqslant 3\). The weighted matching polynomial of the weighted \(k\)-tree \((T, \mathfrak{w})\) is defined to be \[\mu(T, \mathfrak{w}, x) = \sum_{M \in \mathcal{M}(T)} (-1)^{|M|} \prod_{e \in E(M)} \mathfrak{w}(e)^k \prod_{v \in V(T)\backslash V(M)} (x-\mathfrak{w}(v)),\] where \(\mathcal{M}(T)\) denotes the set of matchings (including empty set) of \(T\). In this paper, we investigate the eigenvalues of the adjacency tensor \(\mathcal{A}(T, \mathfrak{w})\) of the weighted \(k\)-tree \((T, \mathfrak{w})\). The main result provides that \(\mathfrak{w}(v)\) is an eigenvalue of \(\mathcal{A}(T, \mathfrak{w})\) for every \(v\in V(T)\), and if \(\lambda\neq \mathfrak{w}(v)\) for every \(v\in V(T)\), then \(\lambda\) is an eigenvalue of \(\mathcal{A}(T, \mathfrak{w})\) if and only if there exists a subtree \(T^\prime\) of \(T\) such that \(\lambda\) is a root of \(\mu(T^\prime, \mathfrak{w}, x)\). Moreover, the spectral radius of \(\mathcal{A}(T, \mathfrak{w})\) is equal to the largest root of \(\mu(T, \mathfrak{w}, x)\) when \(\mathfrak{w}\) is real and nonnegative. The result extends a work by \textit{G. J. Clark} and \textit{J. N. Cooper} [Electron. J. Comb. 25, No. 2, Research Paper P2.48, 8 p. (2018; Zbl 1391.15082)] to weighted \(k\)-trees. As applications, two analogues of the above work for the Laplacian and the signless Laplacian tensors of \(k\)-trees are obtained.