Two conjectures in spectral graph theory involving the linear combinations of graph eigenvalues

Abstract

We prove two conjectures in spectral extremal graph theory involving the linear combinations of graph eigenvalues. Let $λ_1(G)$ be the largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of a graph $G$, and $\bar{G}$ be the complement of $G$. A nice conjecture states that the graph on $n$ vertices maximizing $λ_1(G) + λ_1(\bar{G})$ is the join of a clique and an independent set, with $\lfloor n/3\rfloor$ and $\lceil 2n/3\rceil$ (also $\lceil n/3\rceil$ and $\lfloor 2n/3\rfloor$ if $n \equiv 2 \pmod{3}$) vertices, respectively. We resolve this conjecture for sufficiently large $n$ using analytic methods. Our second result concerns the $Q$-spread $s_Q(G)$ of a graph $G$, which is defined as the difference between the largest eigenvalue and least eigenvalue of the signless Laplacian of $G$. It was conjectured by Cvetković, Rowlinson and Simić in $2007$ that the unique $n$-vertex connected graph of maximum $Q$-spread is the graph formed by adding a pendant edge to $K_{n-1}$. We confirm this conjecture for sufficiently large $n$.