1. Introduction
Consider a commutative ring denoted as , which has a nonzero identity element denoted by . An element is called a zero-divisor if there exists another nonzero element b in such that their product . The set of all zero-divisors in is denoted by , while denotes the subset of containing all nonzero elements. Zero-divisors play a crucial role in understanding the structural properties of commutative rings, capturing the non-regular elements that are not units.
The symbol represents the set of integers modulo , where is a positive integer. This ring serves as a fundamental example of a finite commutative ring, with its structure heavily influenced by the factorization of into its prime power components. The elements of are denoted by , with addition and multiplication defined modulo . The set contains all elements with nontrivial divisors in , while the subset focuses on the nonzero elements. The study of plays a significant role in algebraic and graph-theoretical investigations.
In the study of commutative rings, I. Beck [
1] introduced the concept of zero-divisor graphs in 1988. Initially, all elements of the ring were considered as vertices of the graph. Later, Anderson and Livingston [
2] refined this definition in 1999, focusing solely on the nonzero zero-divisors as graph vertices. The set of vertices in the
zero-divisor graph is represented by
. Two distinct elements
u and
v in
are adjacent if and only if their product
. This graph is denoted by
.
The study of has unveiled deep connections between the algebraic properties of the ring and the combinatorial structure of the graph. A key observation is that is an integral domain if and only if is an empty graph. This characteristic underscores the utility of in distinguishing integral domains from other commutative rings. Moreover, the structure of reveals valuable insights into the zero-divisors of , including their quantity, distribution, and interaction patterns.
The zero-divisor graph has been instrumental in studying various algebraic structures, including localization, ideal theory, and factorization properties of rings. Moreover, the interplay between graph invariants and ring-theoretic properties has been a focal point of research. Parameters such as diameter, girth, chromatic number, and degree sequences of
have been analyzed to deduce properties of the underlying ring. These studies have been further extended to specific classes of commutative rings, such as
, yielding numerous noteworthy results. For a detailed exploration of zero-divisor graphs and their applications, we direct readers to [
2,
3] and the related references.
If we use
V to represent the set of vertices in the graph
and
E to indicate the set of edges in the same graph
, we can express
. The set of vertices within
that share an edge with vertex
is formally referred to as the
neighborhood of
, and is denoted as
. The number of edges that are connected to a particular vertex
within the vertex set
V is denoted by
. This value is referred to as the
degree of the vertex
. A graph
is said to be
r-regular if
for every vertex
. The spectrum of graph
with its eigenvalues and multiplicities is represented by the notation
for any graph
. If vertices
u and
v are connected within the graph
, this is denoted as
. The complete graph comprising
u vertices is symbolized as
, while the complete-bipartite graph with a pair of sets of vertices of sizes
is denoted as
. It is important to note that sources [
4,
5] also include further notations and terms that may not have been previously defined.
For a square matrix
A with unique eigenvalues
occurring with multiplicities
, respectively, then the
of the matrix
A, denoted by
is defined as
The square matrix of dimension
, which is referred to as the
adjacency matrix of the graph
, is denoted by
. This matrix is specified in the following manner:
For more comprehensive information regarding adjacency and Laplacian spectra, please refer to sources [
6,
7,
8]. Additionally, the matrix denoted as
, representing the graph
, has a normalized Laplacian matrix that is defined in the following manner:
In fact, we have
with the convention
for
. For more on spectrum of graphs, we refer the reader to [
9,
10,
11]. Nazim et al. [
12] investigated the normalized Laplacian spectrum of the weakly zero-divisor graph of the ring
, providing valuable insights into the spectral properties of these graphs. Their studies underscore the intricate connections between the graph-theoretical and algebraic properties of weakly zero-divisor graphs.
The normalized Laplacian spectrum of zero-divisor graphs has garnered significant attention for its ability to uncover intricate connections between algebraic structures and graph-theoretical properties. Pirzada et al. [
13] studied the normalized Laplacian spectrum of
, where
belongs to the set
, with
p and
q being distinct primes, such that
. Their work laid the groundwork for understanding spectral properties of specific zero-divisor graphs and inspired further investigation into generalized cases. Building upon this motivation, the present study delves into the normalized Laplacian spectrum of
, where
, with
and
being distinct primes
and
are positive integers.
This article begins with an introduction that outlines the motivation and objectives, followed by a review of the relevant literature. In
Section 2, we establish the fundamental concepts and results necessary for the study, including definitions, lemmas, and theorems related to zero-divisors, commutative rings, and their associated graphs. These preliminaries form the foundational framework for deriving the main results. In
Section 3, we detail the approach and techniques used in our analysis, including the computation of the normalized Laplacian spectra of the weakly zero-divisor graphs. In
Section 4, we focus on the normalized Laplacian spectrum of the zero-divisor graph
, where
is expressed as
, with
and
being distinct primes
and
are positive integers. Detailed computations are provided, including characteristic polynomials and approximate eigenvalues for specific cases. This work concludes in
Section 5, summarizing the main findings and suggesting directions for future research.
The computation of characteristic polynomials and approximate eigenvalues for diverse matrices has been facilitated through the utilization of matrixcalc.org.
2. Preliminaries
We begin by introducing key definitions and relevant prior research, which will provide the basis for drawing our main conclusions.
For any positive integer , we denote the number of its positive divisors as . The notation is employed to signify that the number x is a divisor of . The number of positive integers less than or equal to that do not share common factors with is denoted as , and is referred to as Euler’s phi function. When representing a positive integer in terms of its prime factors, it is described as being in a state of prime decomposition, which is denoted as , where represent a positive integers, while stand for different prime numbers.
Lemma 1 ([
14])
. If is a prime decomposition of , then . Theorem 1 ([
14])
. The phi function ϕ of Euler satisfies the following conditions:- (1)
, whenever s and t are relatively prime.
- (2)
The sum of , whenever s divides n, i.e., .
- (3)
For any prime q, .
An integer
s is defined as a proper divisor of
if and only if it satisfies
and
. Let
represent the simple graph having a set of vertices
associated with
, where
are the distinct proper divisors of
. In the graph
, a connection is established between two vertices if and only if the integer
is a divisor of the product
. If
is expressed as a prime factorization
, then the number of vertices in the graph
is given by
For every integer
r where
, we examine the sets of elements defined by
where
represents the gcd of
x and
. Furthermore, it is evident that
whenever
. This observation suggests that the collections
are pairwise disjoint and partitions the vertex set of
as follows:
As per the description of , a vertex from and a vertex from within the graph become connected if and only if the integer evenly divides the product , where both r and x are selected from the set . The subsequent lemma provides insight into the size of .
Lemma 2 ([
8])
. Let be the divisor of . Then, , . Lemma 3 ([
6])
. Let be the proper divisor of the positive integer . Then, the following hold:- (i)
The induced subgraph of on the vertex set is either the complete graph or its complement graph , for . Indeed, if and only if , is .
- (ii)
When , for , a vertex of is either adjacent to all or none of the vertices of in .
As mentioned earlier, Lemma 3 illustrates that the subgraphs in fall into two categories: complete graphs or empty graphs. The following lemma confirms that can be described as a mixture of complete graphs and their complements.
Lemma 4 ([
6])
. Let be the induced subgraph of on the vertex set for . Then, . In terms of the normalized Laplacian spectrum of component , the next result gives the normalized Laplacian spectrum of and the eigenvalues of an auxiliary matrix.
Theorem 2 ([
15])
. Let H be a graph with , and ’s be -regular graphs of order . If . Then, normalized Laplacian spectrum of can be computed as follows:whereandThe number and the matrix are only dependent on the graph H.
3. Methodology
Graph theory continues to be a vibrant field of research, offering a bridge between pure and applied mathematics, as well as discrete structures. The methodology adopted in this study builds upon established concepts in algebra and graph theory, employing rigorous mathematical tools to derive new results. Our strategies focus on leveraging existing literature to extend known results and to explore novel aspects of zero-divisor graphs.
In this work, the use of linear algebra and matrix theory is central to the analysis. Spectral graph theory, in particular, serves as a powerful framework for examining the interplay between graph-theoretical and algebraic properties. The normalized Laplacian spectrum is employed as a key tool to capture the structural characteristics of the zero-divisor graph of the ring .
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the normalized Laplacian spectra of the zero-divisor graph for a general class of , expressed as , where and are distinct primes, and are positive integers. To achieve this, we utilize advanced spectral graph theory techniques and computational tools to compute eigenvalues and derive the characteristic polynomials associated with these graphs.
Building on the work of Pirzada et al. [
13], who investigated the normalized Laplacian spectrum of
for specific values of
, this study extends the spectral analysis to broader classes of
. Moreover, results from Wu et al. [
15] on the H-join operation of graphs provide a conceptual foundation for deriving normalized Laplacian spectra in this context. Through these methodologies, this work aims to enhance the understanding of the relationship between the algebraic structure of
and the spectral properties of its associated zero-divisor graph.
4. Normalized Laplacian Spectrum of the Zero-Divisor Graph
It is important to note that the complete graph
and its complement
with
vertices, each with multiplicity, possess well-defined normalized Laplacian spectra.
By Lemma 3 is either the complete graph or its complement graph for . Therefore, according to the assertion made in Theorem 2, the overall number of eigenvalues associated with the normalized Laplacian of can be represented as .
Using Theorem 2, we can utilize the given diagram below to calculate the normalized Laplacian spectrum.
Example 1. Normalized Laplacian spectrum of the zero-divisor graph . The integer has a set of proper divisors, namely: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30. Therefore, is the graph and . Expanding the sequence of divisors to arrange the vertices in a specific order and applying Lemma 3
and Lemma 4
, we have Since , then for . So, by using Theorem 2
the normalized Laplacian spectrum of has eigenvalue 1 with multiplicity , and the set of 10 remaining eigenvalues can be derived from the subsequent matrix provided below. The above matrix’s approximated eigenvalues are Now, we determine the normalized Laplacian spectrum of , for , where are primes and are positive integers.
Theorem 3. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , where consists of the eigenvalues where and . Also, the remaining normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of are the roots of the characteristic polynomial of the matrix Equation . Proof. If
, with
and
representing distinct prime numbers, and satisfying the conditions
, the list of proper divisors of
are
By using Lemma 1, the order of
is
. From the definition of
, the subsequent adjacency relations are as follows:
In view of Lemma 2, the sizes of sets
for
,
and
can be determined as follows:
As indicated by Lemma 3, the induced subgraphs
are
Applications of Theorem 2 yield the values of
,
so we can say that
For
and
, we observe that
is adjacent to itself as a vertex of
. Therefore, by adding and subtracting the cardinalities of
, we obtain
. The remaining
, computed as described above, are given by
Now, by using Equation (2) and Theorem 2, we have
Thus, the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of
is 1 with multiplicity
. This is true for
. Using analogous procedures, we find that
are also the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of
. From Equation (2), it follows that
, where
and
. Therefore, we obtain
It follows that is the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of with multiplicity , where . Similarly, we observe that 1 with multiplicity and with multiplicity are the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of for and . Also, the remaining normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of are the roots of the characteristic polynomial of the matrix Equation (1). □
An immediate consequence of our first main result is the following corollary.
Corollary 1. Suppose , where is prime and is a positive integer. Then, the normalized Laplacian spectrum of consists of eigenvalue 1 with multiplicity , the eigenvalue with multiplicity , . The other normalized Laplacian eigenvalue of are the eigenvalues of matrix Equation (3). Proof. Let
, for
is a positive integer. Then,
are the proper divisors of
. We observe that the vertex
of
is adjacent to the vertex
and the vertex
is adjacent to both
and
. Thus, in general, for each
with
and
, the vertex
is adjacent to the vertex
in
. Now,
. So, by using the similar steps and using Theorem 1 (3), we have
Similarly, for
, we obtain
, for
because
does not divide
, for
and
for
because
divides
, for
. This implies that
, for
, and
, for
. Further,
, for
, and
, for
. Therefore, by using Theorem 2, we observe that 1 is the normalized Laplacian eigenvalue of
with multiplicity
. Also, we have
for
. Therefore, by Theorem 2,
is the normalized Laplacian eigenvalue of
with multiplicity
. The matrix below provides the other normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of
where
,
and
, for
;
, for
. □
If and in Theorem 3, the resulting outcome is that becomes equivalent to the complete graph and the following observation gives its normalized Laplacian spectrum.
Corollary 2 ([
13])
. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , if is When we choose and according to Theorem 3, the conclusion can be derived.
Corollary 3 ([
13])
. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , if iswhere . By setting in Theorem 3, the subsequent outcome is as follows.
Corollary 4. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of is The matrix below provides the other normalized eigenvalues of .
Proof. Assume that
, where
and
denoting distinct prime numbers. The proper divisors of
include
, and
. Therefore,
is the graph
and
. Lemma 4 gives us
As per the proper divisor sequence, we proceed to assign labels to the vertices contained within
, so that
, and
. Now, By Theorem 2,
, and
. Then, the eigenvalue 1 with multiplicity
are the normalized Laplacian spectrum of
, the eigenvalue
with multiplicity
, the eigenvalue
with multiplicity
, the eigenvalue
with multiplicity
, and the matrix below provides the remaining seven eigenvalues:
where
and
. □
Theorem 4. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , where consists of the eigenvalueswhere The matrix Equation (1)
eigenvalues are the remaining normalized Laplacian eigenvalues of .
The previously stated outcome provides the normalized Laplacian spectrum of , where and both and are odd. The demonstration for the previously mentioned result follows a similar approach to that outlined in Theorem 3.
Taking in Theorem 4, we obtain the following result.
Corollary 5. Let , where is a positive integer and is a prime. Then, the normalized Laplacian spectrum of consists of the eigenvalue 1 with multiplicity , the eigenvalue with multiplicity , where . The matrix below provides the other normalized eigenvalues of :where ,and , for ; , for and When and in Theorem 4, the subsequent outcome is obtained.
Corollary 6 ([
13])
. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , if is When and in Theorem 4, the subsequent outcome is obtained.
Corollary 7 ([
13])
. The normalized Laplacian spectrum of , if 5. Conclusions and Future Work
In this study, we have explored the normalized Laplacian spectrum of the zero-divisor graph for a general class of , where is expressed as , with and being distinct primes and positive integers. By leveraging fundamental algebraic properties of the zero-divisor graph and detailed computations, we derived the normalized Laplacian eigenvalues for various configurations of . This work extends previous results on specific classes of , and demonstrates the interplay between the algebraic structure of and the spectral properties of its associated graph.
The findings reveal that the normalized Laplacian spectrum encapsulates significant information about the structural composition of zero-divisor graphs. In particular, the characteristic polynomials and eigenvalue distributions provide insights into the modular arithmetic and divisors underlying . The results also validate that certain classes of zero-divisor graphs exhibit unique spectral patterns, reinforcing the importance of spectral graph theory in algebraic contexts.
This research opens several promising directions for future investigation. One potential avenue involves extending the spectral analysis to larger classes of finite commutative rings, with the aim of identifying deeper relationships between their algebraic properties and spectral parameters. Another area of interest is the exploration of additional graph invariants, such as the spectral radius, chromatic number, and connectivity, and their connections to the normalized Laplacian spectrum of zero-divisor graphs. Advanced computational techniques could also be employed to analyze the spectra for higher powers of primes and rings with multiple prime factors, potentially uncovering intricate patterns and properties. Furthermore, the spectral properties of zero-divisor graphs could have practical applications in cryptography, coding theory, and error detection frameworks, which warrant detailed investigations. A comparative study of the spectral characteristics of zero-divisor graphs with other algebraically defined graphs, such as unit graphs or co-maximal graphs, could reveal meaningful commonalities and distinctions. Additionally, future studies may consider works related to ring theory, such as “The Homomorphism Theorems of M-Hazy Rings and Their Induced Fuzzifying Convexities” [
16], which could provide further insights into the algebraic structures associated with zero-divisor graphs.
Collectively, this work not only enhances the theoretical understanding of zero-divisor graphs, but also establishes a robust foundation for interdisciplinary research integrating algebra, graph theory, and computational methodologies.