Leading eigenvalues of adjacency matrices of star-like graphs with fixed numbers of vertices and edges

Abstract For a sequence of adjacency matrices, describing the unfolding of a network from the graph of a star, through graphs of a broom, to the graph of a link with constant vertices and edges, we show that the leading eigenvalue (the spectral radius) satisfies a simple algebraic equation. The equation allows easy numerical computation of the leading eigenvalue as well as a direct proof of its monotonicity in terms of the maximal degree of vertices.