A class of quadratic difference equations on a finite graph

Abstract

We study a class of complex polynomial equations on a finite graph with a view to understanding how holistic phenomena emerge from combinatorial structure. Particular solutions arise from orthogonal projections of regular polytopes, invariant frameworks and cyclic sequences. A set of discrete parameters for which there exist non-trivial solutions leads to the construction of a polynomial invariant and the notion of a geometric spectrum. Geometry then emerges, notably dimension, distance and curvature, from purely combinatorial properties of the graph.