On Leighton's graph covering theorem (Q531922)

Summary: We give short expositions of both Leighton's proof [\textit{F.P. Leighton}, ``Finite common coverings of graphs,'' J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 33, 231--238 (1982; Zbl 0488.05033)] and the Bass-Kulkarni proof [\textit{H. Bass} and \textit{R. Kulkarni}, ``Uniform tree lattices,'' J. Am. Math. Soc. 3, No.\,4, 843--902 (1990; Zbl 0734.05052)] of Leighton's graph covering theorem, in the context of colored graphs. We discuss a further generalization, needed elsewhere, to ``symmetry-restricted graphs''. We can prove it in some cases, for example, if the ``graph of colors'' is a tree, but we do not know if it is true in general. We show that Bass's Conjugation Theorem, which is a tool in the Bass-Kulkarni approach, does hold in the symmetry-restricted context.