Nut digraphs

Nino Bašić; Patrick W. Fowler; Maxine M. McCarthy; Primož Potočnik

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arXiv · 2503.10548

Nut digraphs

Nino Bašić·Patrick W. Fowler·Maxine M. McCarthy·Primož Potočnik

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Abstract

A nut graph is a simple graph whose kernel is spanned by a single full vector (i.e. the adjacency matrix has a single zero eigenvalue and all non-zero kernel eigenvectors have no zero entry). We classify generalisations of nut graphs to nut digraphs: a digraph whose kernel (resp. co-kernel) is spanned by a full vector is dextro-nut (resp. laevo-nut); a bi-nut digraph is both laevo- and dextro-nut; an ambi-nut digraph is a bi-nut digraph where kernel and co-kernel are spanned by the same vector; a digraph is inter-nut if the intersection of the kernel and co-kernel is spanned by a full vector. It is known that a nut graph is connected, leafless and non-bipartite. It is shown here that an ambi-nut digraph is strongly connected, non-bipartite (i.e. has a non-bipartite underlying graph) and has minimum in-degree and minimum out-degree of at least $2$. Refined notions of core and core-forbidden vertices apply to singular digraphs. Infinite families of nut digraphs and systematic coalescence, cross-over and multiplier constructions are introduced. Relevance of nut digraphs to topological physics is discussed.

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Nino Bašić, Patrick W. Fowler, Maxine M. McCarthy, Primož Potočnik. 2025-03-13. Nut digraphs. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.10548

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