Symmetry in Graphs

This is the first full-length book on the major theme of symmetry in graphs. Forming part of algebraic graph theory, this fast-growing field is concerned with the study of highly symmetric graphs, particularly vertex-transitive graphs, and other combinatorial structures, primarily by group-theoretic techniques. In practice the street goes both ways and these investigations shed new light on permutation groups and related algebraic structures. The book assumes a first course in graph theory and group theory but no specialized knowledge of the theory of permutation groups or vertex-transitive graphs. It begins with the basic material before introducing the field's major problems and most active research themes in order to motivate the detailed discussion of individual topics that follows. Featuring many examples and over 450 exercises, it is an essential introduction to the field for graduate students and a valuable addition to any algebraic graph theorist's bookshelf.

Reviews & endorsements

'The book is an excellent introduction to graph symmetry, assuming only first courses in each of group theory and graph theory. Illustrative and instructive examples of graphs with high symmetry are given along with motivating problems. The theory of group actions is interspersed throughout the book, as appropriate to the development of the graph story, and there are separate chapters treating different research directions, for example, vertex-transitive graphs and their automorphism groups, the Cayley Isomorphism Problem, and Hamiltonicity. The book provides a seamless entry for students and other interested people into this fascinating study of the interplay between symmetry and network theory, with extensive lists of exercises at the end of each chapter, and important research problems on graph symmetry discussed throughout the book, and especially in the final chapter.' Cheryl Praeger, University of Western Australia, Perth

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Product details

• Date Published: May 2022
• format: Hardback
• isbn: 9781108429061
• length: 450 pages

• dimensions: 235 x 157 x 30 mm
• weight: 0.91kg
• availability: Available