On the Null Space Structure Associated with Trees and Cycles

Shaun M. Fallat1, Shahla Nasserasr1
1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina, Regina, Sask. Canada, S4S 0A2

Abstract

In this work, we study the structure of the null spaces of matrices associated with graphs. Our primary tool is utilizing Schur complements based on certain collections of independent vertices. This idea is applied in the case of trees, and seems to represent a unifying theory within the context of the support of the null space. We extend this idea and apply it to describe the null vectors and corresponding nullities of certain symmetric matrices associated with cycles.