Cut structures in zero-divisor graphs of commutative rings (Q2629207)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with identity. Assume that \(\Gamma(R)\) is the zero-divisor graph of \(R\) on the vertex set \(\mathrm{Z}(R)^*=\mathrm{Z}(R)\setminus \{0\}\), with edges \(\{x\)--\(y|xy=0\}\). Also suppose that \(\bar\Gamma(R)\) is the compressed zero-divisor graph of \(R\), whose vertices are equivalence classes of elements of \(\mathrm{Z}(R)^*\) under the relation \(x\sim y \iff \mathrm{Ann}(x)=\mathrm{Ann}(y)\), and with the edge set \(\{[x]\)--\([y]| xy=0\}\). The aim of this paper is to study cut-sets (that is, a set of vertices, the removal of which makes the graph disconnected) and non-trivial bridges (that is, an edge whose removal disconnects the graph and none of its ends has degree 1) of \(\Gamma(R)\) and \(\bar\Gamma(R)\). Among some other results, the authors present a characterization of cut-sets of \(\Gamma(R)\) when \(R\) is a finite direct product of local rings and conclude that if \(A\) is a cut-set of \(\Gamma(R)\) for an Artinian ring \(R\), then \(A\cup\{0\}\) is an ideal of \(R\). Also they prove that \(\Gamma(R)\) has a non-trivial bridge if and only if \(R\cong \mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_4\) or \(R\cong \mathbb{Z}_2\times \mathbb{Z}_2[x]/(x^2)\). For \(A\subseteq \mathrm{Z}(R)^*\), let \(\bar A=\{[a]|a\in A\}\) and \(A'=\{a\in \mathrm{Z}(R)^*|[a]\in \bar A\}\). It is proved that \(A\) is a cut-set of \(\Gamma(R)\) if and only if \(A=A'\) and \(\bar A\) is a cut-set of \(\bar\Gamma(R)\). Another result of the paper states that \(\bar\Gamma(R)\) has a non-trivial bridge, if and only if, \(\bar\Gamma(R)\) is isomorphic to a path of length 3, with exactly one of the degree 2 vertices being looped. In case of Artinian rings, it is shown that these equivalent conditions hold if and only if \(R\) is a direct product of a field and a non-field local ring \((S,M)\) with \(M^2=0\). Finally the authors study the relationship of cut-sets with the associated prime ideals of \(R\), when \(R\) is Noetherian.