Graphs with Diameter $n-e$ Minimizing the Spectral Radius

The spectral radius $\rho(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the largest eigenvalue of its adjacency matrix $A(G)$. For a fixed integer $e\ge 1$, let $G^{min}_{n,n-e}$ be a graph with minimal spectral radius among all connected graphs on $n$ vertices with diameter $n-e$. Let $P_{n_1,n_2,...,n_t,p}^{m_1,m_2,...,m_t}$ be a tree obtained from a path of $p$ vertices ($0 \sim 1 \sim 2 \sim ... \sim (p-1)$) by linking one pendant path $P_{n_i}$ at $m_i$ for each $i\in\{1,2,...,t\}$. For $e=1,2,3,4,5$, $G^{min}_{n,n-e}$ were determined in the literature. Cioab\v{a}-van Dam-Koolen-Lee \cite{CDK} conjectured for fixed $e\geq 6$, $G^{min}_{n,n-e}$ is in the family ${\cal P}_{n,e}=\{P_{2,1,...1,2,n-e+1}^{2,m_2,...,m_{e-4},n-e-2}\mid 2<m_2<...<m_{e-4}<n-e-2\}$. For $e=6,7$, they conjectured $G^{min}_{n,n-6}=P^{2,\lceil\frac{D-1}{2}\rceil,D-2}_{2,1,2,n-5}$ and $G^{min}_{n,n-7}=P^{2,\lfloor\frac{D+2}{3}\rfloor,D- \lfloor\frac{D+2}{3}\rfloor, D-2}_{2,1,1,2,n-6}$. In this paper, we settle their three conjectures positively. We also determine $G^{min}_{n,n-8}$ in this paper.