$K_{r+1}$-saturated graphs with small spectral radius

Abstract

For a graph $H$, a graph $G$ is $H$-saturated if $G$ does not contain $H$ as a subgraph but for any $e \in E(\overline{G})$, $G+e$ contains $H$. In this note, we prove a sharp lower bound for the number of paths and walks on length $2$ in $n$-vertex $K_{r+1}$-saturated graphs. We then use this bound to give a lower bound on the spectral radii of such graphs which is asymptotically tight for each fixed $r$ and $n\to\infty$.