English

Explicit two-sided unique-neighbor expanders

Combinatorics 2024-01-17 v2 Computational Complexity Discrete Mathematics Data Structures and Algorithms

Abstract

We study the problem of constructing explicit sparse graphs that exhibit strong vertex expansion. Our main result is the first two-sided construction of imbalanced unique-neighbor expanders, meaning bipartite graphs where small sets contained in both the left and right bipartitions exhibit unique-neighbor expansion, along with algebraic properties relevant to constructing quantum codes. Our constructions are obtained from instantiations of the tripartite line product of a large tripartite spectral expander and a sufficiently good constant-sized unique-neighbor expander, a new graph product we defined that generalizes the line product in the work of Alon and Capalbo and the routed product in the work of Asherov and Dinur. To analyze the vertex expansion of graphs arising from the tripartite line product, we develop a sharp characterization of subgraphs that can arise in bipartite spectral expanders, generalizing results of Kahale, which may be of independent interest. By picking appropriate graphs to apply our product to, we give a strongly explicit construction of an infinite family of (d1,d2)(d_1,d_2)-biregular graphs (Gn)n1(G_n)_{n\ge 1} (for large enough d1d_1 and d2d_2) where all sets SS with fewer than a small constant fraction of vertices have Ω(d1S)\Omega(d_1\cdot |S|) unique-neighbors (assuming d1d2d_1 \leq d_2). Additionally, we can also guarantee that subsets of vertices of size up to exp(Ω(logV(Gn)))\exp(\Omega(\sqrt{\log |V(G_n)|})) expand losslessly.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2302.01212,
  title  = {Explicit two-sided unique-neighbor expanders},
  author = {Jun-Ting Hsieh and Theo McKenzie and Sidhanth Mohanty and Pedro Paredes},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.01212},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

New version contains stronger result, and many new technical ingredients. 45 pages, 2 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-28T08:30:29.833Z