Simple eigenvalues of cubic vertex-transitive graphs

Abstract

If $v$ is an eigenvector for eigenvalue $\lambda$ of a graph $X$ and $\alpha$ is an automorphism of $X$, then $\alpha(v)$ is also an eigenvector for $\lambda$. Thus it is rather exceptional for an eigenvalue of a vertex-transitive graph to be simple. We study cubic vertex-transitive graphs with a non-trivial simple eigenvalue, and discover remarkable connections to arc-transitivity, regular maps and Chebyshev polynomials.