Chip-firing on graphs of groups

Abstract

We define the Laplacian matrix and the Jacobian group of a finite graph of groups. We prove analogues of the matrix tree theorem and the class number formula for the order of the Jacobian of a graph of groups. Given a group $G$ acting on a graph $X$, we define natural pushforward and pullback maps between the Jacobian groups of $X$ and the quotient graph of groups $X/\!/G$. For the case $G=\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$, we also prove a combinatorial formula for the order of the kernel of the pushforward map.