Cliques and colorings in generalized Paley graphs and an approach to synchronization

Abstract

Given a finite field, one can form a directed graph using the field elements as vertices and connecting two vertices if their difference lies in a fixed subgroup of the multiplicative group. If -1 is contained in this fixed subgroup, then we obtain an undirected graph that is referred to as a generalized Paley graph. In this paper we study generalized Paley graphs whose clique and chromatic numbers coincide and link this theory to the study of the synchronization property in 1-dimensional primitive affine permutation groups.