Connected triangle-free planar graphs whose second largest eigenvalue is at most 1

Abstract

Let $\lambda_2$ be the second largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of a connected graph. In 2023, Li and Sun \cite{LiSun1} determined all the connected $\{K_{2,3}, K_4\}$-minor free graphs whose second largest eigenvalue $\lambda_2\le 1$. As a continuance of it, in this paper we completely identify all the connected $\{K_5,K_{3,3}\}$-minor free graphs without $C_3$ whose second largest eigenvalue does not exceed 1. This partially solves an open problem posed by Li and Sun \cite{LiSun1}: Characterize all connected planar graphs whose second largest eigenvalue is at most $1.$ Our main tools include the spectral theory and the local structure characterization of the planar graph with respect to its girth.