A new graph parameter related to bounded rank positive semidefinite matrix completions

The Gram dimension gd(G) of a graph G is the smallest integer k ≥ 1 such that any partial real symmetric matrix, whose entries are specified on the diagonal and at the off-diagonal positions corresponding to edges of G, can be completed to a positive semidefinite matrix of rank at most k (assuming a positive semidefinite completion exists). For any fixed k the class of graphs satisfying gd(G) ≤ k is minor closed, hence it can characterized by a finite list of forbidden minors. We show that the only minimal forbidden minor is Kk+1 for k ≤ 3 and that there are two minimal forbidden minors: K5 and K2,2,2 for k = 4. We also show some close connections to Euclidean realizations of graphs and to the graph parameter ν(G) of [21]. In particular, our characterization of the graphs with gd(G) ≤ 4 implies the forbidden minor characterization of the 3-realizable graphs of Belk and Connelly [8,9] and of the graphs with ν(G) ≤ 4 of van der Holst [21].