Clean Graphs and Idempotent Graphs over Finite Rings: An Approach Based on Z_n

Abstract: Let $R$ be a finite ring with identity. The idempotent graph $I(R)$ is the graph whose vertex set consists of the non-trivial idempotent elements of $R$, where two distinct vertices $x$ and $y$ are adjacent if and only if $xy = yx = 0$. The clean graph $Cl(R)$ is a graph whose vertices are of the form $(e, u)$, where $e$ is an idempotent element and $u$ is a unit of $R$. Two distinct vertices $(e,u)$ and $(f, v)$ are adjacent if and only if $ef = fe = 0$ or $uv = vu = 1$. The graph $Cl_2(R)$ is the subgraph of $Cl(R)$ induced by the set ${(e, u) : e \text{ is a nonzero idempotent element of } R}$. In this study, we examine the structure of clean graphs over $\mathbb{Z}_{n}$ derived from their $Cl_2$ graphs and investigate their relationship with the structure of their idempotent graphs.