Zero-divisor graphs of amalgamated duplication of a ring along an ideal (Q2456392)

For a commutative ring \(R\) with identity and ideal \(I\) of \(R\), the amalgamated duplication of \(R\) along \(I\) is the subring \(R \bowtie I\) of \(R \times R\) consisting of elements \((r,r+i)\) for \(r \in R\) and \(i \in I\). The authors derive results about the diameter and girth of the zero-divisor graph \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\) of \(R \bowtie I\). After classifying the zero-divisors of \(R \bowtie I\), they give a complete characterization of the girth of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\). In particular, they show (Corollary 3.3) that the girth of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\) is 3 if and only if \(R\) is not an integral domain; the girth of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\) is 4 if and only if \(R\) is an integral domain and \(| I| \geq 3\); and the girth of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\) is infinite if and only if \(I=R=\mathbb{Z}_2\). In addition, the authors obtain various results about the diameter of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\); among other results they show that if the diameter of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\) is less than 3, then the set \(Z(R)\) of zero-divisors of \(R\) is an ideal of \(R\) (Theorem 4.12), and if \(R \bowtie I\) contains an element adjacent to all vertices of \(\Gamma(R \bowtie I)\), then \(Z(R)\) is a prime ideal of \(R\) (Theorem 4.16). The paper is well written and the results add nicely to the theory of zero-divisor graphs.