Cospectral graphs and the generalized adjacency matrix

Abstract: Let J be the all-ones matrix, and let A denote the adjacency matrix of a graph. An old result of Johnson and Newman states that if two graphs are cospectral with respect to yJ − A for two distinct values of y, then they are cospectral for all y. Here we will focus on graphs cospectral with respect to yJ − A for exactly one value of y. We call such graphs -cospectral. It follows that is a rational number, and we prove existence of a pair of -cospectral graphs for every rational . In addition, we generate by computer all -cospectral pairs on at most nine vertices. Recently, Chesnokov and the second author constructed pairs of -cospectral graphs for all rational , where one graph is regular and the other one is not. This phenomenon is only possible for the mentioned values of , and by computer we find all such pairs of -cospectral graphs on at most eleven vertices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]