Commutative Boolean monoids, reduced rings, and the compressed zero-divisor graph (Q714113)

For a non-zero commutative ring \(R\), the authors study the relationship between the zero divisor graphs \(\Gamma(R)\) and \(\Gamma_E(R)\), where the former is the now-standard definition by \textit{D.~F.~Anderson} and \textit{P.~S.~Livingston} [J.~Algebra 217, No. 2, 434-447 (1999; Zbl 0941.05062)]) and the latter is the so-called compressed zero divisor graph determined by equivalence classes of zero divisors, first defined by \textit{S.~B.~Mulay} [Commun. Algebra 30, No. 7, 3533--3558 (2002; Zbl 1087.13500)]). Specifically, the graphs are first studied in the case that \(R\) is reduced, and Boolean rings play a large role. Additionally, the compressed graph of \(R\) is compared to that of its total quotient ring, denoted \(T(R)\). Under the reduced assumption, the authors investigate conditions such that \(\Gamma_E(R)\) is isomorphic to \(\Gamma(S)\), for some reduced ring \(S\). They show that if there is such a graph isomorphism, then \(S\) must be a Boolean ring; moreover, \(\Gamma_E(R) \cong \Gamma(R)\) if and only if \(R\) is a Boolean ring. In addition, when both rings are reduced, the authors show that \(\Gamma_E(R)\) and \(\Gamma_E(S)\) are isomorphic if \(\Gamma(R)\) and \(\Gamma(S)\) are isomorphic. Furthermore, they show that either \(\Gamma_E(R)\) has girth three, or \(R\) is isomorphic to the direct product of two fields. In the next section, the authors show that if \(S_1\) and \(S_2\) are two subrings of \(T(R)\), both containing \(R\), then \(\Gamma_E(S_1)\) and \(\Gamma_E(S_2)\) are graph isomorphic. Also, for a reduced ring \(R\), they give equivalent conditions for when \(\Gamma_E(R)\) is graph isomorphic to \(\Gamma_E(T(R))\). Their techniques often involve comparing equivalences of different objects, e.g., annihilator classes in two rings, or different structures, e.g., ring, monoid, graph. For example, the authors show that \(\Gamma_E(R) \cong \Gamma(M) \cong \Gamma(R)/ \sim\), where \(M\) is the commutative monoid derived from equivalence classes of annihilator ideals of \(R\), and \(\sim\) relates two vertices in a graph with identical neighborhoods. Finally, complements of graphs are considered, and it is shown that \(\Gamma_E(R)\) is complemented if and only if \(\Gamma(R)\) is complemented if and only if \(\Gamma_E(R) \cong \Gamma(B)\) for some non-zero Boolean ring \(B\).