On the spectral radius of minimally 2-(edge)-connected graphs with given size (Q6042107)

Summary: A graph is minimally \(k\)-connected (\(k\)-edge-connected) if it is \(k\)-connected (\(k\)-edge-connected) and deleting any arbitrary chosen edge always leaves a graph which is not \(k\)-connected (\(k\)-edge-connected). Let \(m= \binom{d}{2}+t\), \(1\leqslant t\leqslant d\) and \(G_m\) be the graph obtained from the complete graph \(K_d\) by adding one new vertex of degree \(t\). Let \(H_m\) be the graph obtained from \(K_d\backslash\{e\}\) by adding one new vertex adjacent to precisely two vertices of degree \(d-1\) in \(K_d\backslash\{e\}\). \textit{P. Rowlinson} [Linear Algebra Appl. 110, 43--53 (1988; Zbl 0666.05043)] showed that \(G_m\) attains the maximum spectral radius among all graphs of size \(m\). This classic result indicates that \(G_m\) attains the maximum spectral radius among all \(2\)-(edge)-connected graphs of size \(m=\binom{d}{2}+t\) except \(t=1\). The next year, \textit{P. Rowlinson} [Eur. J. Comb. 10, No. 5, 489--497 (1989; Zbl 0678.05034)] proved that \(H_m\) attains the maximum spectral radius among all \(2\)-connected graphs of size \(m=\binom{d}{2}+1\) \((d\geq 5)\), this also indicates \(H_m\) is the unique extremal graph among all \(2\)-connected graphs of size \(m=\binom{d}{2}+1\) \((d\geq 5)\). Observe that neither \(G_m\) nor \(H_m\) are minimally \(2\)-(edge)-connected graphs. In this paper, we determine the maximum spectral radius for the minimally \(2\)-connected (2-edge-connected) graphs of given size; moreover, the corresponding extremal graphs are also characterized.