# Hoffman–Singleton graph

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Hoffman–Singleton graph
Named after Alan J. Hoffman
Robert R. Singleton
Vertices 50
Edges 175
Radius 2
Diameter 2[1]
Girth 5[1]
Automorphisms 252,000
(PSU(3,52):2)[2]
Chromatic number 4
Chromatic index 7[3]
Properties Strongly regular
Symmetric
Hamiltonian
Integral
Cage
Moore graph
The Hoffman–Singleton graph. The subgraph of blue edges is a sum of ten disjoint pentagons.

In the mathematical field of graph theory, the Hoffman–Singleton graph is a 7-regular undirected graph with 50 vertices and 175 edges. It is the unique strongly regular graph with parameters (50,7,0,1).[4] It was constructed by Alan Hoffman and Robert Singleton while trying to classify all Moore graphs, and is the highest order Moore graph known to exist.[5] Since it is a Moore graph where each vertex has degree 7, and the girth is 5, it is a (7,5)-cage.

## Construction

A simple direct construction is the following: Take five pentagons Ph and five pentagrams Qi, so that vertex j of Ph is adjacent to vertices j-1 and j+1 of Ph and vertex j of Qi is adjacent to vertices j-2 and j+2 of Qi. Now join vertex j of Ph to vertex hi+j of Qi. (All indices mod 5.)

## Algebraic properties

The automorphism group of the Hoffman–Singleton graph is a group of order 252,000 isomorphic to PΣU(3,52) the semidirect product of the projective special unitary group PSU(3,52) with the cyclic group of order 2 generated by the Frobenius automorphism. It acts transitively on the vertices, on the edges and on the arcs of the graph. Therefore the Hoffman–Singleton graph is a symmetric graph.

The characteristic polynomial of the Hoffman–Singleton graph is equal to $(x-7) (x-2)^{28} (x+3)^{21}$. Therefore the Hoffman–Singleton graph is an integral graph: its spectrum consists entirely of integers.

## Subgraphs

Using only the fact that the Hoffman–Singleton graph is a strongly regular graph with parameters (50,7,0,1), it can be shown that there are 1260 5-cycles contained in the Hoffman–Singleton graph.

Additionally, the Hoffman–Singleton graph contains 525 copies of the Petersen graph.

## Notes

1. ^ a b
2. ^ Hafner, P. R. "The Hoffman-Singleton Graph and Its Automorphisms." J. Algebraic Combin. 18, 7-12, 2003.
3. ^ Royle, G. "Re: What is the Edge Chromatic Number of Hoffman-Singleton?" GRAPHNET@istserv.nodak.edu posting. Sept. 28, 2004. [1]
4. ^
5. ^ Hoffman, Alan J.; Singleton, Robert R. (1960), "Moore graphs with diameter 2 and 3", IBM Journal of Research and Development 5 (4): 497–504, doi:10.1147/rd.45.0497, MR 0140437.