A new spectral invariant for quantum graphs

The Euler characteristic i.e., the difference between the number of vertices |V| and edges |E| is the most important topological characteristic of a graph. However, to describe spectral properties of differential equations with mixed Dirichlet and Neumann vertex conditions it is necessary to introduce a new spectral invariant, the generalized Euler characteristic $$\chi _G:= |V|-|V_D|-|E|$$ χ G : = | V | - | V D | - | E | , with $$|V_D|$$ | V D | denoting the number of Dirichlet vertices. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the generalized Euler characteristic $$\chi _G$$ χ G of quantum graphs and microwave networks can be determined from small sets of lowest eigenfrequencies. If the topology of the graph is known, the generalized Euler characteristic $$\chi _G$$ χ G can be used to determine the number of Dirichlet vertices. That makes the generalized Euler characteristic $$\chi _G$$ χ G a new powerful tool for studying of physical systems modeled by differential equations on metric graphs including isoscattering and neural networks where both Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions occur.

Great Advances

Wars, as usual, are responsible for many technical advances. Among the most significant was the invention of new devices capable of producing higher frequencies which were to be called microwaves. This made possible the emergence of radar both for military and civil communications and sometime later Long Distance Communications was realized by microwave links where information was sent from tower to tower. Microwave networks were built in all industrialized countries. It was followed by satellite communications, first passive (relying on signal reflection) and later active, that re-radiated signal. The first mobile phones also used microwave frequencies. Further advances like digitalization, optical fibres, and inter-computer communications are introduced.

Isoscattering strings of concatenating graphs and networks

We identify and investigate isoscattering strings of concatenating quantum graphs possessing n units and 2n infinite external leads. We give an insight into the principles of designing large graphs and networks for which the isoscattering properties are preserved for $$n \rightarrow \infty $$ n → ∞ . The theoretical predictions are confirmed experimentally using $$n=2$$ n = 2 units, four-leads microwave networks. In an experimental and mathematical approach our work goes beyond prior results by demonstrating that using a trace function one can address the unsettled until now problem of whether scattering properties of open complex graphs and networks with many external leads are uniquely connected to their shapes. The application of the trace function reduces the number of required entries to the $$2n \times 2n $$ 2 n × 2 n scattering matrices $${\hat{S}}$$ S ^ of the systems to 2n diagonal elements, while the old measures of isoscattering require all $$(2n)^2$$ ( 2 n ) 2 entries. The studied problem generalizes a famous question of Mark Kac “Can one hear the shape of a drum?”, originally posed in the case of isospectral dissipationless systems, to the case of infinite strings of open graphs and networks.