Small vertex-transitive graphs of given degree and girth

Abstract

We investigate the basic interplay between the small k-valent vertex-transitive graphs of girth g and the (k, g)-cages, the smallest k-valent graphs of girth g. We prove the existence of k-valent Cayley graphs of girth g for every pairof parameters k ≥ 2 and g ≥ 3, improve the lower bounds on the order of the smallest (k, g) vertex-transitive graphs forcertain families with prime power girth, and generalize the construction of Bray, Parker and Rowley that has yielded several of the smallest known (k, g)-graphs.