[Math] Self-complementary graph of diameter 2

graph theory

It is known (and not so hard to prove) that any self-complementary graph with more than one vertex has diameter $2$ or $3$.

What would be the simplest example (i.e., with the least number of vertices) of a self-complementary graph of diameter $2$?

Edit: As pointed out in the comments, $C_5$ is the answer to the question. What would be the next self-complementary graph with diameter 2?

Best Answer

For any $n\in\mathbb N,$ here's how you can construct a self-complementary graph of diameter $2$ and order $4n+1.$

Choose a graph $G$ of order $n.$

Start with a $C_5$ graph, with vertices $A,B,C,D,E$ and edges $AB,BC,CD,DE,EA.$

Replace each of the vertices $B$ and $E$ with a copy of $G,$ and replace each of the vertices $C$ and $D$ with a copy of the complementary graph $\overline G.$

More precisely: The graph has vertex set $A\cup B\cup C\cup D\cup E$ where $A,B,C,D,E$ are disjoint sets and $|A|=1$ and $|B|=|C|=|D|=|E|=n.$ The induced subgraphs on $B$ and $E$ are isomorphic to $G,$ the induced subgraphs on $C$ and $D$ are isomorphic to $\overline G.$ There are edges joining all vertices in $A$ to all vertices in $B,$ all vertices in $B$ to all vertices in $C,$ all vertices in $C$ to all vertices in $D,$ all vertices in $D$ to all vertices in $E,$ and all vertices in $E$ to all vertices in $A.$ On the other hand, there are no edges between $A$ and $C,$ or between $C$ and $E,$ or between $E$ and $B,$ or between $B$ and $D,$ or between $D$ and $A.$

In other words: Just use the most obvious construction of a self-complementary graph of order $4n+1.$

Example: For $G=K_2$ it looks like

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