Galois graphs: Walks, trees and automorphisms (Q1818372)

Let \(k\) be a perfect field whose characteristic is zero, and let \(\overline k\) be the algebraic closure of \(k\). Symmetric polynomials of the form \(\Phi(x,y)\) with coefficients in \(k\) are considered. To any \(\Phi\) a graph \(G(\Phi)\)---called the Galois graph of \(\Phi\)---is assigned so that the vertices are the elements of \(\overline k\) and an edge \((j_1,j_2)\) exists when \(j\) is a root of \(\Phi(j_1,y)\), more precisely, the edge has the same multiplicity as the root. From the abstract: ``Some graph properties of \(G(\Phi)\), such as lengths of walks, distances and cycles are described in terms of \(\Phi\).'' It is studied when the graph \(G(\Phi,j,n)\), defined as the subgraph of \(G(\Phi)\) induced by the vertices of \(G(\Phi)\) whose distance from \(j\) does not exceed \(n\), is a tree. Generalizing the Galois graphs, the notion of \(k\)-graph is introduced, depending on how the Galois group \(\text{Gal}(\overline k/k)\) is related to the automorphism group of certain classes of Galois graphs. Among others, the following two problems are treated: (i) when is a connected component of a \(k\)-graph again a \(k\)-graph, and (ii) properties of \(k\)-graphs being trees.