Abstract
One goal of this chapter is to introduce the rank polynomial of a signed graph, which we will use in the next chapter to construct the Jones polynomial of a knot. A second goal is to place this polynomial in a larger context. The rank polynomial is a classical object in graph theory, with a surprising range of ramifications. We develop its basic theory and provide an extensive description of its applications.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
N. Biggs, Algebraic Graph Theory, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, second edition, 1993.
B. Bollobás and O. Riordan, A Tutte polynomial for coloured graphs, Combin. Probab. Comput., 8 (1999), 45–93.
T. Brylawski and J. Oxley, The Tutte polynomial and its applications, in Matroid applications, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1992, 123–225.
T. H. Brylawski, A decomposition for combinatorial geometries, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 171 (1972), 235–282.
K. Murasugi, On invariants of graphs with applications to knot theory, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 314 (1989), 1–49.
—, Classical numerical invariants in knot theory, in Topics in knot theory (Erzurum, 1992), Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, 1993, 157–194.
J. G. Oxley, Matroid Theory, The Clarendon Press Oxford University Press, New York, 1992.
W. T. Tutte, A ring in graph theory, Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc., 43 (1947), 26–40.
—, The dichromatic polynomial, Congressus Numeratium, XV (1976), 605–635.
D. J. A. Welsh, Matroid Theory, Academic Press, London, 1976.
—, Complexity: Knots, Colourings and Counting, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1993.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Godsil, C., Royle, G. (2001). The Rank Polynomial. In: Algebraic Graph Theory. Graduate Texts in Mathematics, vol 207. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0163-9_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0163-9_15
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-95220-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0163-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive