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On the eigenvalues of Cayley graphs on the symmetric group generated by a complete multipartite set of transpositions. (English) Zbl 1221.05196
Summary: Given a finite simple graph $$\mathcal G$$ with $$n$$ vertices, we can construct the Cayley graph on the symmetric group $$S _{n }$$ generated by the edges of $$\mathcal G$$, interpreted as transpositions. We show that, if $$\mathcal G$$ is complete multipartite, the eigenvalues of the Laplacian of Cay $$(\mathcal G)$$ have a simple expression in terms of the irreducible characters of transpositions and of the Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. As a consequence, we can prove that the Laplacians of $$\mathcal G$$ and of Cay $$(\mathcal G)$$ have the same first nontrivial eigenvalue. This is equivalent to saying that Aldous’s conjecture, asserting that the random walk and the interchange process have the same spectral gap, holds for complete multipartite graphs.

##### MSC:
 05C25 Graphs and abstract algebra (groups, rings, fields, etc.) 05C50 Graphs and linear algebra (matrices, eigenvalues, etc.) 05C81 Random walks on graphs
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