Commutative rings whose zero-divisor graph is a proper refinement of a star graph (Q546376)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with nonzero identity, and let \(Z(R)\) be its set of zero-divisors. The zero-divisor graph, \(\Gamma(R)\), is the graph with vertices the set of nonzero zero-divisors of \(R\), and for distinct \(x,y\in Z(R)\), the vertices \(x\) and \(y\) are adjacent if and only if \(xy=0\) [see \textit{I. Beck}, J. Algebra 116, No. 1, 208--226 (1988; Zbl 0654.13001); \textit{D. F. Anderson} and \textit{P. S. Livingston}, J. Algebra 217, No. 2, 434--447 (1999; Zbl 0941.05062)]. The zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring has been studied extensively by several authors. A graph is called a proper refinement of a star graph if it is a refinement of a star graph, but it is neither a star graph nor a complete graph. For a refinement of a star graph \(G\) with center \(c\), let \(G^*_c\) be the subgraph of \(G\) induced on the vertex set \(V(G)\setminus\{c\text{ or end vertices adjacent to }c\}\). In the paper under review, the authors study the isomorphic classification of some finite commutative local rings \(R\) by investigating their zero-divisor graphs \(G=\Gamma(R)\), which is a proper refinement of a star graph with exactly one center \(c\). Among other results they determine all finite commutative local rings \(R\) such that \(G^*_c\) has at least two connected components.