TOPICS
Search

Cyclic Group Graph


CyclicGroupGraphsC3

A simple graph whose automorphism group is a cyclic group may be termed a cyclic group graph.

Since groups of prime order are always cyclic, any graph with an automorphism group of prime order is a cyclic group graph. In addition, since the automorphism group of the graph complement of any graph is the same as for the original, the graph complement of any cyclic group graph is also a cyclic group graph.

The smallest cyclic group graphs have nine nodes, and these four graphs, which have automorphism group is isomorphic to the cyclic group C3, are illustrated above. The leftmost graph has the smallest number of edges and was illustrated by Harary (1994, p. 170), the second graph from the left is the graph obtained from the (9,3)-configuration, the third is that configuration's graph complement, and the fourth is the complement of the first.

Other graphs whose automorphism groups are isomorphic to the cyclic group C3 include three of the Paulus graphs (each on 26 vertices), the 12th fullerene graph on 40 vertices, and Tutte's graph (on 46 vertices).

CyclicGroupGraphsC4

The smallest simple cyclic group C4 graphs have 10 vertices. There are 12 such graphs, which are illustrated above. Note that the C_4 cyclic group graph with 10 vertices and 20 edges shown in Fig. 4.8 of Arlinghaus (1985) is not the C_4 graph with the smallest possible number of edges.

The (n,4)-caveman graph is a C_n group graph. The following table summarizes some other cyclic group graphs, where k indicates a C_k group graph and n is the vertex count.

kngraph
39(9,3) configuration graph
324Markström graph
325two 25-Paulus graphs
326one 26-Paulus graph (and its complement)
329ten strongly regular graphs with parameters (29,14,6,7)
340one 40-fullerene
340one strongly regular graph with parameters (40,12,2,4)
346Tutte's graph
346two 46-fullerenes
350two 50-fullerenes
412Nauru configuration graph
515Cremona-Richmond configuration graph
535Johnson skeleton graph 47
54040-O'Donnell graph
545Hochberg-O'Donnell star graph
550Watkins snark
5210Descartes snark
625Golomb-Moser graph
629two strongly regular graphs with parameters (29,14,6,7)
728Coxeter configuration graph
940two strongly regular graphs with parameters (40,12,2,4)
1248Berman 48_5 configuration graph
53212regular nonplanar graph of degree 5 with diameter 4
99198regular nonplanar graph of degree 16 with diameter 2

See also

Automorphism Group, Cyclic Group, Graph Automorphism

Explore with Wolfram|Alpha

References

Arlinghaus, W. C. "The Classification of Minimal Graphs with Given Abelian Automorphism Group." Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. 57, No. 57, 1-86, Sep. 1985.

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Cyclic Group Graph." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/CyclicGroupGraph.html

Subject classifications