On the Laplacian spectrum of $k$-symmetric graphs

Abstract

For some positive integer $k$, if the finite cyclic group ${\mathbb{Z}}_k$ can act freely on a graph $G$, then we say that $G$ is $k$-symmetric. In 1985, Faria showed that the multiplicity of Laplacian eigenvalue 1 is greater than or equal to the difference between the number of pendant vertices and the number of quasi-pendant vertices. But if a graph has a pendant vertex, then it is at most 1-connected. In this paper, we investigate a class of 2-connected $k$-symmetric graphs with a Laplacian eigenvalue 1. We also identify a class of $k$-symmetric graphs in which all Laplacian eigenvalues are integers.