Gap sets for the spectra of cubic graphs

Abstract

We study gaps in the spectra of the adjacency matrices of large finite cubic graphs. It is known that the gap intervals ( 2 2 , 3 ) (2 \sqrt {2},3) and [ − 3 , − 2 ) [-3,-2) achieved in cubic Ramanujan graphs and line graphs are maximal. We give constraints on spectra in [ − 3 , 3 ] [-3,3] which are maximally gapped and construct examples which achieve these bounds. These graphs yield new instances of maximally gapped intervals. We also show that every point in [ − 3 , 3 ) [-3,3) can be gapped by planar cubic graphs. Our results show that the study of spectra of cubic, and even planar cubic, graphs is subtle and very rich.