Eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph, particularly focusing on the implications of the normalized Laplacian matrix and the treatment of isolated vertices. Participants explore theoretical expectations versus practical calculations in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that the eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph should be all 0, while others note that the normalized Laplacian results in an identity matrix with eigenvalues of all 1s.
  • One participant argues that a normalized Laplacian cannot be created from a graph with isolated vertices due to their degree being 0, which complicates the calculation of matrix entries.
  • Another participant mentions that the value is defined as 0 for vertices of degree 0, suggesting that this leads to an identity matrix.
  • There is a contention regarding the entries on the main diagonal of the normalized Laplacian, with some stating they would be set to zero, contradicting the identity matrix claim.
  • References are shared among participants, with some expressing that certain sources may have overlooked the treatment of isolated vertices.
  • One participant shares eigenvalue results from their calculations, initially reporting an incorrect first eigenvalue due to a mistake in their implementation, which they later corrected.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph or the implications of the normalized Laplacian. Multiple competing views remain regarding the treatment of isolated vertices and the resulting matrix properties.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions hinge on the definitions and assumptions regarding isolated vertices and the construction of the normalized Laplacian, which may not be universally agreed upon.

kosmos
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According to theory the eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph (no two nodes are connected) must be all 0. But the normalized Laplacian of such a graph will be an identity matrix whose eigenvalues will be all 1s. Please correct me!
 
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kosmos said:
According to theory the eigenvalues of a completely disconnected graph (no two nodes are connected) must be all 0. But the normalized Laplacian of such a graph will be an identity matrix whose eigenvalues will be all 1s. Please correct me!

I believe you can not create a normalize Laplacian from a graph with isolated vertices.
They have degree 0, so you cannot calculate the entries ##-1 \over \sqrt{d_i d_j}## in the matrix.
 
The value is 0 if the degree is 0 as per definition. So we will get an identity matrix.

http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~sbutler/spectral/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Can't find the reference in your link...

However, from wikipedia I can see that the entries on the main diagonal would be set to zero, so it will not be an identity matrix.
These entries would correspond to eigenvalues of zero.
 
Page no. 9 of this pdf file http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~sbutler/PDF/spectral1.pdf ... and i think this reference has missed that out! ...thanks for helping out mate!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
kosmos said:
Page no. 9 of this pdf file http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~sbutler/PDF/spectral1.pdf ... and i think this reference has missed that out! ...thanks for helping out mate!

Yes, this reference missed out on that.
However, in the introductory paragraph it is assumed that there are no isolated vertices, so it is not wrong.

And you're welcome. :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I get the following eigenvalues for the matrix attached as text file. It can be viewed in spreadsheet as it is in csv format. The first eigen value is supposed to be zero. There are 20 nodes in graph. There are 3 pairs of nodes which are connected only to each other. So there are 15 partitions as shown by the values below, assuming -4 is zero.
-4.0
-2.220446049250313E-16
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.1102230246251565E-16
4.440892098500626E-16
1.9999999999999998
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.000000000000001
 

Attachments

Sorry for posting it in this thread ... I should have done it in the other one. I got the problem. The portion of my implementation which checked if the nodes where adjacent had a mistake. So it was producing wrong first eigenvalue. Now it works fine. I am getting the required number of zeroes and no negative values. :) ... Thanks for your help again!
 
Cheers! :smile:
 

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