Distance-transitive graph 2026-10-14
An automorphism group is transitive on ordered pairs of vertices at every fixed distance. Grassmann graphs provide examples with the finite general linear group as a distance-transitive automorphism group.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 4 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For the Johnson graph, an edge exchanges one member of a -set. Along one edge, intersection size with a fixed target can increase by at most one, so any path in a graph from to has length at least . Replacing the elements of successively by elements of gives a path in a graph attaining that bound. Hence the distance in a Johnson graph isIf two ordered pairs have the same distance , their four regions (intersection, first-only, second-only and outside the union) have sizes . Choose bijections between corresponding regions. Their union is a ground-set permutation sending the ordered pair to the other pair and preserving graph adjacency. The symmetric group is distance-transitive. For the graph diameter is .
For the Grassmann graph, a codimension-one exchange changes intersection dimension with a fixed target by at most one. More explicitly, if are adjacent, their common -space shows , and exchanging the two gives the reverse bound. Thus distance is at least .
Choose a basis of , complement it in by , and in by . These combined vectors are independent because . The spacesform a path in a graph of length . ConsequentlyEqual-distance ordered pairs have the same dimensions in this adapted basis construction. Extend both combined bases to bases of , and match them by a invertible linear map. It maps the first ordered pair to the second and preserves dimensions of intersections, hence graph adjacency. is distance-transitive, over an arbitrary field, with graph diameter under .
For the symplectic dual polar graph, vertices are Lagrangian -spaces. Let have dimension . The quotient is a nonsingular symplectic vector space of dimension , and are complementary Lagrangian subspaces. Their mutual pairing is nonsingular: a vector orthogonal to both lies in , so vanishes in the quotient. Choose dual bases in and in , and lift them into . Their span is a nonsingular symplectic -space. Complete it by a basis of and suitable dual partners. This gives the pair normal formThe spaces remain totally isotropic subspace: a present pairs only with the absent . They give an adjacent-step path in a graph of length . The previous intersection-dimension lower bound still applies, provingFor two ordered pairs at the same distance, match their adapted symplectic bases. The resulting map preserves the alternating bilinear form and sends the pairs to each other, so lies in . Equivalently, construct the isometry of a space with a form on from the displayed normal form and extend it by Witt's lemma. The action of the symplectic group over a field is distance-transitive, over every field, and its graph has graph diameter . The zero-dimensional boundary cases give a single vertex and trivial transitivity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 4 4 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Grassmann graph is connected, and its distance can be determined directly. Put , , and . Choose vectors so thatThe vectors of a basis of , followed by all the and , are independent: a relation would identify a vector in the two chosen complements modulo , contradicting . For defineEach successive pair has an intersection of dimension . Thus and are joined by a path of length .
For the lower bound, if two vertices are adjacent, their common vector subspace has codimension one in each. Both and lie between and . Thus one edge can change the dimension of the intersection with by at most one. It must change from to along a path from to , requiring at least edges. Therefore
If two ordered pairs have equal distance, their intersections have equal dimension. Construct adapted bases for each pair as above and extend both to bases of the ambient vector space. The invertible linear map between them sends the first ordered pair to the second. It preserves intersection dimensions, so it is a graph automorphism. This proves that the Grassmann graph is distance-transitive, with the required simultaneous images. Its diameter is , because permits two disjoint -dimensional vector subspaces.