Topological symmetry groups of complete bipartite graphs (Q330470)

The work presented here is a further step in the program of studying the possible topological symmetry groups of finite graphs in the \(3\)-sphere, initiated by \textit{J. Simon} [Topology 25, 229--235 (1986; Zbl 0615.57005)] and pursued systematically by \textit{E. Flapan} et al. [Comment. Math. Helv. 80, No. 2, 317--354 (2005; Zbl 1074.05026)]. The extra-mathematical motivation originates from the desire to understand the symmetry groups of molecules in chemistry. The topological symmetry group \(\mathrm{TSG}_+\)\((\Gamma)\) of a graph \(\Gamma\) in the \(3\)-sphere is the subgroup of the graph automorphism group of \(\Gamma\) induced by orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the pair \((S^3,\Gamma)\). It is already known that the groups occurring are finite subgroups of the orthogonal group \(\mathrm{SO}\)\((4)\). The question asked here is which of the groups \({\mathbb Z}_m, D_m, {\mathbb Z}_r \times {\mathbb Z}_s, ({\mathbb Z}_r \times {\mathbb Z}_s) \ltimes {\mathbb Z}_2\) can be realized by a suitable embedding of a complete bipartite graph \(K_{n,n}\). Theorems 1 and 2 answer this question, with the exception of a few cases where only subgroups of \(\mathrm{TSG}_+\)\((\Gamma)\) are described in this way. The proofs are based on the preparatory work mentioned above and relie on meticulous case-by-case studies.