Spectral properties of the n-Queens' Graphs

MaRDI QIDQ6355236zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors D. M. Cardoso, Inês Serôdio Costa, Rui Duarte

Publication date 3 December 2020

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Graphs and linear algebra (matrices, eigenvalues, etc.) (05C50) Vertex subsets with special properties (dominating sets, independent sets, cliques, etc.) (05C69) Coloring of graphs and hypergraphs (05C15) Edge subsets with special properties (factorization, matching, partitioning, covering and packing, etc.) (05C70)

Abstract: The $n$-Queens' graph, $mathcalQ(n)$, is the graph associated to the $nimesn$ chessboard (a generalization of the classical $8imes8$ chessboard), with $n^2$ vertices, each one corresponding to a square of the chessboard. Two vertices of $mathcalQ(n)$ are adjacent if and only if they are in the same row, in the same column or in the same diagonal of the chessboard. After a short overview on the main combinatorial properties of $mathcalQ(n)$, its spectral properties are investigated. First, a lower bound on the least eigenvalue of an arbitrary graph is obtained using clique edge partitions and a sufficient condition for this lower bound be attained is deduced. For the particular case of $mathcalQ(n)$, we prove that for every $n$, its least eigenvalue is not less than $-4$ and it is equal to $-4$ with multiplicity $(n-3{)}^2$, for every $nge4$. Furthermore, $n-4$ is also an eigenvalue of $mathcalQ(n)$, with multiplicity at least $fracn-22$ when $n$ is even and at least $fracn+12$ when $n$ is odd. A conjecture about the integer eigenvalues of $mathcalQ(n)$ is presented. We finish this article with an algorithm to determine an equitable partition of the $n$-Queens' graph, $mathcalQ(n)$, for $nge3$, concluding that such equitable partition has $frac(lceiln/2ceil+1)lceiln/2ceil2$ cells.

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