Search

We characterize the possible exterior shiftings of $K$, where $K$ runs over all triangulation of the torus, or the projective plane, or the Klein bottle. Further, we give a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm for computing the exterior shifting of a given triangulation $K$ as above.

Which $4$-manifolds admit a flag-no-square (fns) triangulation? We introduce the "star-connected-sum" operation on such triangulations, which preserves the fns property, from which we derive new constructions of fns $4$-manifolds. In particular, we show the following: (i) there exist non-aspherical fns $4$-manifolds, answering in the negative a question by Przytycki and Swiatkowski; (ii) for every large enough integer $k$ there exists a fns $4$-manifold $M_{2k}$ of Euler characteristic $2k$, and further, (iii) $M_{2k}$ admits a super-exponential number (in $k$) of fns triangulations - at least $2^{\Omega(k \log k)}$ and at most $2^{O(k^{1.5} \log k)}$., Comment: 17 pages, comments welcome!

The (weak) chromatic number of a hypergraph $H$, denoted by $\chi(H)$, is the smallest number of colors required to color the vertices of $H$ so that no hyperedge of $H$ is monochromatic. For every $2\le k\le d+1$, denote by $\chi_L(k,d)$ (resp. $\chi_{PL}(k,d)$) the supremum $\sup_H \chi(H)$ where $H$ runs over all finite $k$-uniform hypergraphs such that $H$ forms the collection of maximal faces of a simplicial complex that is linearly (resp. PL) embeddable in $\mathbb{R}^d$. Following the program by Heise, Panagiotou, Pikhurko and Taraz, we improve their results as follows: For $d \geq 3$, we show that A. $\chi_L(k,d)=\infty$ for all $2\le k\le d$, B. $\chi_{PL}(d+1,d)=\infty$ and C. $\chi_L(d+1,d)\ge 3$ for all odd $d\ge 3$. As an application, we extend the results by Lutz and M\o ller on the weak chromatic number of the $s$-dimensional faces in the triangulations of a fixed triangulable $d$-manifold $M$: D. $\chi_s(M)=\infty$ for $1\leq s \leq d$.

Jord\'an and Tanigawa recently introduced the $d$-dimensional algebraic connectivity $a_d(G)$ of a graph $G$. This is a quantitative measure of the $d$-dimensional rigidity of $G$ which generalizes the well-studied notion of spectral expansion of graphs. We present a new lower bound for $a_d(G)$ defined in terms of the spectral expansion of certain subgraphs of $G$ associated with a partition of its vertices into $d$ parts. In particular, we obtain a new sufficient condition for the rigidity of a graph $G$. As a first application, we prove the existence of an infinite family of $k$-regular $d$-rigidity-expander graphs for every $d\ge 2$ and $k\ge 2d+1$. Conjecturally, no such family of $2d$-regular graphs exists. Second, we show that $a_d(K_n)\geq \frac{1}{2}\left\lfloor\frac{n}{d}\right\rfloor$, which we conjecture to be essentially tight. In addition, we study the extremal values $a_d(G)$ attained if $G$ is a minimally $d$-rigid graph.

We study the generic volume rigidity of $(d-1)$-dimensional simplicial complexes in $\mathbb R^{d-1}$, and show that the volume rigidity of a complex can be identified in terms of its exterior shifting. In addition, we establish the volume rigidity of triangulations of several $2$-dimensional surfaces and prove that, in all dimensions $>1$, volume rigidity is {\em not} characterized by a corresponding hypergraph sparsity property.

The $d$-dimensional algebraic connectivity $a_d(G)$ of a graph $G=(V,E)$, introduced by Jord\'an and Tanigawa, is a quantitative measure of the $d$-dimensional rigidity of $G$ that is defined in terms of the eigenvalues of stiffness matrices (which are analogues of the graph Laplacian) associated to mappings of the vertex set $V$ into $\mathbb{R}^d$. Here, we analyze the $d$-dimensional algebraic connectivity of complete graphs. In particular, we show that, for $d\geq 3$, $a_d(K_{d+1})=1$, and for $n\geq 2d$, \[ \left\lceil\frac{n}{2d}\right\rceil-2d+1\leq a_d(K_n) \leq \frac{2n}{3(d-1)}+\frac{1}{3}. \]

We prove that every triangulation of either of the torus, projective plane and Klein bottle, contains a vertex-spanning planar Laman graph as a subcomplex. Invoking a result of Kir{\'a}ly, we conclude that every $1$-skeleton of a triangulation of a surface of nonnegative Euler characteristic has a rigid realization in the plane using at most 26 locations for the vertices., Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, to be presented at FPSAC2022

We consider the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi evolution of random graphs, where a new uniformly distributed edge is added to the graph in every step. For every fixed $d\ge 1$, we show that with high probability, the graph becomes rigid in $\mathbb R^d$ at the very moment its minimum degree becomes $d$, and it becomes globally rigid in $\mathbb R^d$ at the very moment its minimum degree becomes $d+1$.

We provide lower and upper bounds on the minimum size of a maximum stable set over graphs of flag spheres, as a function of the dimension of the sphere and the number of vertices. Further, we use stable sets to obtain an improved Lower Bound Theorem for the face numbers of flag spheres., Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to appear at FPSAC2022. Major revision, in particular, Thm.1.3 now claims a weaker lower bound, as in v1 the proof had a gap: we wrongly claimed that a certain sum of ideals is direct. These ideals are irrelevant in the current version

We obtain computational hardness results for f-vectors of polytopes by exhibiting reductions of the problems DIVISOR and SEMI-PRIME TESTABILITY to problems on f-vectors of polytopes. Further, we show that the corresponding problems for f-vectors of simplicial polytopes are polytime solvable. The regime where we prove this computational difference (conditioned on standard conjectures on the density of primes and on $P\neq NP$) is when the dimension $d$ tends to infinity and the number of facets is linear in $d$., Comment: 7 pages

We consider the realization space of the $d$-dimensional cube, and show that any two realizations are connected by a finite sequence of projective transformations and normal transformations. We use this fact to define an analog of the connected sum construction for cubical $d$-polytopes, and apply this construction to certain cubical $d$-polytopes to conclude that the rays spanned by $f$-vectors of cubical $d$-polytopes are dense in Adin's cone. The connectivity result on cubes extends to any product of simplices, and further, it shows the respective realization spaces are contractible.

We consider geometric and computational measures of complexity for sets of integer vectors, asking for a qualitative difference between $f$-vectors of simplicial and general $d$-polytopes, as well as flag $f$-vectors of $d$-polytopes and regular CW $(d-1)$-spheres, for $d\ge 4$., Comment: 8 pages. Submitted to Gr\"unbaum DCG Memorial Volume

We propose a combinatorial approach to the following strengthening of Gal's conjecture: $\gamma(\Delta)\ge \gamma(E)$ coefficientwise, where $\Delta$ is a flag homology sphere and $E\subseteq \Delta$ an induced homology sphere of codimension $1$. We provide partial evidence in favor of this approach, and prove a nontrivial nonlinear inequality that follows from the above conjecture, for boundary complexes of flag $d$-polytopes: $h_1(\Delta) h_i(\Delta) \ge (d-i+1)h_{i-1}(\Delta) + (i+1) h_{i+1}(\Delta)$ for all $0\le i\le d$., Comment: 12 pages

We prove several relations on the $f$-vectors and Betti numbers of flag complexes. For every flag complex $\Delta$, we show that there exists a balanced complex with the same $f$-vector as $\Delta$, and whose top-dimensional Betti number is at least that of $\Delta$, thereby extending a theorem of Frohmader by additionally taking homology into consideration. We obtain upper bounds on the top-dimensional Betti number of $\Delta$ in terms of its face numbers. We also give a quantitative refinement of a theorem of Meshulam by establishing lower bounds on the $f$-vector of $\Delta$, in terms of the top-dimensional Betti number of $\Delta$. This result has a continuous analog: If $\Delta$ is a $(d-1)$-dimensional flag complex whose $(d-1)$-th reduced homology group has dimension $a\geq 0$ (over some field), then the $f$-polynomial of $\Delta$ satisfies the coefficient-wise inequality $f_{\Delta}(x) \geq (1 + (\sqrt[d]{a}+1)x)^d$., Comment: 14 pages

We study the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of powers of edge ideals. We prove that if G is a bipartite graph, then reg(I(G)^s) \leq 2s + reg I(G) - 2 for all s \geq 2, which is the best possible upper bound for any s. Suspension plays a key role in proof of the base case s =2.

The goal of this article is to compare the coefficients in the expansion of the permanent with those in the expansion of the determinant of a three-lines circulant matrix. As an application we prove a conjecture concerning the minimality of Galois-Togliatti systems.

Graphs triangulating the $2$-sphere are generically rigid in $3$-space, due to Gluck-Dehn-Alexandrov-Cauchy. We show there is a \emph{finite} subset $A$ in $3$-space so that the vertices of each graph $G$ as above can be mapped into $A$ to make the resulted embedding of $G$ infinitesimally rigid. This assertion extends to the triangulations of any fixed compact connected surface, where the upper bound obtained on the size of $A$ increases with the genus. The assertion fails, namely no such finite $A$ exists, for the larger family of all graphs that are generically rigid in $3$-space and even in the plane., Comment: 11 pages, to appear in Isr. J. Math

We extend the assertion of the Generalized Lower Bound Theorem (GLBT) to general polytopes under the assumption that their low dimensional skeleton is simplicial, with partial results for the general case. We prove a quantitative version of the GLBT for general polytopes, and use it to give a topological necessary condition for polytopes to have vanishing toric $g_k$ entry. As another application of the QGLBT we prove a conjecture of Kalai on $g$-numbers for general polytopes approximating a smooth convex body.

We propose a strengthening of the conclusion in Tur\'an's (3,4)-conjecture in terms of algebraic shifting, and show that its analogue for graphs does hold. In another direction, we generalize the Mantel-Tur\'an theorem by weakening its assumption: for any graph G on n vertices and any involution on its vertex set, if for any 3-set S of the vertices, the number of edges in G spanned by S, plus the number of edges in G spanned by the image of S under the involution, is at least 2, then the number of edges in G is at least the Mantel-Tur\'an bound, namely the number achieved by two disjoint cliques of sizes n/2 rounded up and down.

What is the minimal closed cone containing all $f$-vectors of cubical $d$-polytopes? We construct cubical polytopes showing that this cone, expressed in the cubical $g$-vector coordinates, contains the nonnegative $g$-orthant, thus verifying one direction of the Cubical Generalized Lower Bound Conjecture of Babson, Billera and Chan. Our polytopes also show that a natural cubical analogue of the simplicial Generalized Lower Bound Theorem does not hold., Comment: 15 pages

Stanley proved that for any centrally symmetric simplicial $d$-polytope $P$ with $d\geq 3$, $g_2(P) \geq {d \choose 2}-d$. We provide a characterization of centrally symmetric $d$-polytopes with $d\geq 4$ that satisfy this inequality as equality. This gives a natural generalization of the classical Lower Bound Theorem for simplicial polytopes to the setting of centrally symmetric simplicial polytopes.

Blind and Mani, and later Kalai, showed that the face lattice of a simple polytope is determined by its graph, namely its $1$-skeleton. Call a vertex of a $d$-polytope \emph{nonsimple} if the number of edges incident to it is more than $d$. We show that (1) the face lattice of any $d$-polytope with at most two nonsimple vertices is determined by its $1$-skeleton; (2) the face lattice of any $d$-polytope with at most $d-2$ nonsimple vertices is determined by its $2$-skeleton; and (3) for any $d>3$ there are two $d$-polytopes with $d-1$ nonsimple vertices, isomorphic $(d-3)$-skeleta and nonisomorphic face lattices. In particular, the result (1) is best possible for $4$-polytopes., Comment: 19 pages. This version also replaces the arXiv manuscript arXiv:1701.08334 [math.CO] by Joseph Doolittle

We present some enumerative and structural results for flag homology spheres. For a flag homology sphere $\Delta$, we show that its $\gamma$-vector $\gamma^\Delta=(1,\gamma_1,\gamma_2,\ldots)$ satisfies: \begin{align*} \gamma_j=0,\text{ for all } j>\gamma_1, \quad \gamma_2\leq\binom{\gamma_1}{2}, \quad \gamma_{\gamma_1}\in\{0,1\}, \quad \text{ and }\gamma_{\gamma_1-1}\in\{0,1,2,\gamma_1\}, \end{align*} supporting a conjecture of Nevo and Petersen. Further we characterize the possible structures for $\Delta$ in extremal cases. As an application, the techniques used produce infinitely many $f$-vectors of flag balanced simplicial complexes that are not $\gamma$-vectors of flag homology spheres (of any dimension); these are the first examples of this kind. In addition, we prove a flag analog of Perles' 1970 theorem on $k$-skeleta of polytopes with "few" vertices, specifically: the number of combinatorial types of $k$-skeleta of flag homology spheres with $\gamma_1\leq b$, of any given dimension, is bounded independently of the dimension., Comment: 13 pages, to appear in SIAM Journal on Discrete Math

Let $U_1,\dots, U_{d+1}$ be $n$-element sets in $R^d$ and let $\langle u_1,\ldots,u_{d+1}\rangle$ denote the convex hull of points $u_i$ in $U_i$ (for all $i$) which is a (possibly degenerate) simplex. Pach's selection theorem says that there are sets $Z_1 \subset U_1,\dots, Z_{d+1} \subset U_{d+1}$ and a point $u$ in $R^d$ such that each $|Z_i| > c_1(d)n$ and $u$ belongs to $\langle z_1,...,z_{d+1} \rangle$ for every choice of $z_1$ in $Z_1,\dots,z_{d+1}$ in $Z_{d+1}$. Here we show that this theorem does not admit a topological extension with linear size sets $Z_i$. However, there is a topological extension where each $|Z_i|$ is of order $(\log n)^(1/d)$., Comment: 8 pages

In this paper, we study Lefschetz properties of Artinian reductions of Stanley-Reisner rings of balanced simplicial $3$-polytopes. A $(d-1)$-dimensional simplicial complex is said to be balanced if its graph is $d$-colorable. If a simplicial complex is balanced, then its Stanley-Reisner ring has a special system of parameters induced by the coloring. We prove that the Artinian reduction of the Stanley-Reisner ring of a balanced simplicial $3$-polytope with respect to this special system of parameters has the strong Lefschetz property if the characteristic of the base field is not two or three. Moreover, we characterize $(2,1)$-balanced simplicial polytopes, i.e., polytopes with exactly one red vertex and two blue vertices in each facet, such that an analogous property holds. In fact, we show that this is the case if and only if the induced graph on the blue vertices satisfies a Laman-type combinatorial condition., Comment: 15 pages

We analyze the asymptotic extremal growth rate of the Betti numbers of clique complexes of graphs on n vertices not containing a fixed forbidden induced subgraph H. In particular, we prove a theorem of the alternative: for any H the growth rate achieves exactly one of five possible exponentials, that is, independent of the field of coefficients, the nth root of the maximal total Betti number over n-vertex graphs with no induced copy of H has a limit, as n tends to infinity, and, ranging over all H, exactly five different limits are attained. For the interesting case where H is the 4-cycle, the above limit is 1, and we prove a slightly superpolynomial upper bound., Comment: 14 pages (32 with appendix). Version 2 newly contains a proof of an optimal bound for I_4-free graphs (in the appendix). Version 3 was rearranged for improved readability and also we now claim only a slightly weaker bound for the case of 4-cycle

We study $n$-vertex $d$-dimensional polytopes with at most one nonsimplex facet with, say, $d+s$ vertices, called {\it almost simplicial polytopes}. We provide tight lower and upper bound theorems for these polytopes as functions of $d,n$ and $s$, thus generalizing the classical Lower Bound Theorem by Barnette and Upper Bound Theorem by McMullen, which treat the case of $s=0$. We characterize the minimizers and provide examples of maximizers, for any $d$. Our construction of maximizers is a generalization of cyclic polytopes, based on a suitable variation of the moment curve, and is of independent interest., Comment: 22 pages

We consider two problems regarding vanishing patterns in the Betti table of edge ideals $I$ in polynomial algebra $S$. First, we show that the $j$-strand is connected if $j=3$ (for $j=2$ this is easy and known), and give examples where the $j$-strand is not connected for any $j>3$. Next, we apply our result on strand connectivity to establish the subadditivity conjecture for edge ideals, $t_{a+b}\leq t_a+t_b$, in case $b=2,3$ (the case $b=1$ is known). Here $t_i$ stands for the maximal shifts in the minimal free $S$-resolution of $S/I$, Comment: 9 pages

We resolve a conjecture of Kalai relating approximation theory of convex bodies by simplicial polytopes to the face numbers and primitive Betti numbers of these polytopes and their toric varieties. The proof uses higher notions of chordality. Further, for C^2-convex bodies, asymptotically tight lower bounds on the g-numbers of the approximating polytopes are given, in terms of their Hausdorff distance from the convex body., Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Geometric and Functional Analysis

We generalize the fundamental graph-theoretic notion of chordality for higher dimensional simplicial complexes by putting it into a proper context within homology theory. We generalize some of the classical results of graph chordality to this generality, including the fundamental relation to the Leray property and chordality theorems of Dirac., Comment: 13 pages, revised; to appear in Proc. AMS

It is known that the $(2k-1)$-sphere has at most $2^{O(n^k \log n)}$ combinatorially distinct triangulations with $n$ vertices, for every $k\ge 2$. Here we construct at least $2^{\Omega(n^k)}$ such triangulations, improving on the previous constructions which gave $2^{\Omega(n^{k-1})}$ in the general case (Kalai) and $2^{\Omega(n^{5/4})}$ for $k=2$ (Pfeifle-Ziegler). We also construct $2^{\Omega\left(n^{k-1+\frac{1}{k}}\right)}$ geodesic (a.k.a. star-convex) $n$-vertex triangualtions of the $(2k-1)$-sphere. As a step for this (in the case $k=2$) we construct $n$-vertex $4$-polytopes containing $\Omega(n^{3/2})$ facets that are not simplices, or with $\Omega(n^{3/2})$ edges of degree three., Comment: This paper extends and subsumes arXiv:1311.1641, by two of the authors

After fixing a triangulation $L$ of a $k$-dimensional simplex that has no new vertices on the boundary, we introduce a triangulation operation on all simplicial complexes that replaces every $k$-face with a copy of $L$, via a sequence of induced subdivisions. The operation may be performed in many ways, but we show that the face numbers of the subdivided complex depend only on the face numbers of the original complex, in a linear fashion. We use this linear map to define a sequence of polynomials generalizing the Tchebyshev polynomials of the first kind and show, that in many cases, but not all, the resulting polynomials have only real roots, located in the interval $(-1,1)$. Some analogous results are shown also for generalized Tchebyshev polynomials of the higher kind, defined using summing over links of all original faces of a given dimension in our generalized Tchebyshev triangulations. Generalized Tchebyshev triangulations of the boundary complex of a cross-polytope play a central role in our calculations, and for some of these we verify the validity of a generalized lower bound conjecture by the second author.

The maximum number of vertices in a graph of maximum degree $\Delta\ge 3$ and fixed diameter $k\ge 2$ is upper bounded by $(1+o(1))(\Delta-1)^{k}$. If we restrict our graphs to certain classes, better upper bounds are known. For instance, for the class of trees there is an upper bound of $(2+o(1))(\Delta-1)^{\lfloor k/2\rfloor}$ for a fixed $k$. The main result of this paper is that graphs embedded in surfaces of bounded Euler genus $g$ behave like trees, in the sense that, for large $\Delta$, such graphs have orders bounded from above by \[begin{cases} c(g+1)(\Delta-1)^{\lfloor k/2\rfloor} & \text{if $k$ is even} c(g^{3/2}+1)(\Delta-1)^{\lfloor k/2\rfloor} & \text{if $k$ is odd}, \{cases}\] where $c$ is an absolute constant. This result represents a qualitative improvement over all previous results, even for planar graphs of odd diameter $k$. With respect to lower bounds, we construct graphs of Euler genus $g$, odd diameter $k$, and order $c(\sqrt{g}+1)(\Delta-1)^{\lfloor k/2\rfloor}$ for some absolute constant $c>0$. Our results answer in the negative a question of Miller and \v{S}ir\'a\v{n} (2005)., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures

We introduce a notion of bipartite minors and prove a bipartite analog of Wagner's theorem: a bipartite graph is planar if and only if it does not contain $K_{3,3}$ as a bipartite minor. Similarly, we provide a forbidden minor characterization for outerplanar graphs and forests. We then establish a recursive characterization of bipartite $(2,2)$-Laman graphs --- a certain family of graphs that contains all maximal bipartite planar graphs., Comment: 9 pages

We develop a bipartite rigidity theory for bipartite graphs parallel to the classical rigidity theory for general graphs, and define for two positive integers $k,l$ the notions of $(k,l)$-rigid and $(k,l)$-stress free bipartite graphs. This theory coincides with the study of Babson--Novik's balanced shifting restricted to graphs. We establish bipartite analogs of the cone, contraction, deletion, and gluing lemmas, and apply these results to derive a bipartite analog of the rigidity criterion for planar graphs. Our result asserts that for a planar bipartite graph $G$ its balanced shifting, $G^b$, does not contain $K_{3,3}$; equivalently, planar bipartite graphs are generically $(2,2)$-stress free. We also discuss potential applications of this theory to Jockusch's cubical lower bound conjecture and to upper bound conjectures for embedded simplicial complexes., Comment: Improved presentation, figure added, proof of the Deletion Lemma corrected, to appear in Trans. Amer. Math. Soc

It is known that the $3$-sphere has at most $2^{O(n^2 \log n)}$ combinatorially distinct triangulations with $n$ vertices. Here we construct at least $2^{\Omega(n^2)}$ such triangulations., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure

By taking quotients of a certain tiling of hyperbolic plane / space by certain group actions, we obtain geometric polyhedra / cellulations with interesting symmetries and incidence structure., Comment: v2: Lemma 2.3(4) corrected, and as a result, $\Omega(n^{3/2})$ combinatorially different triangulated 3-manifolds on n vertices are constructed. in Geometriae Dedicata 2015, online

Refining a basic result of Alexander, we show that two flag simplicial complexes are piecewise linearly homeomorphic if and only if they can be connected by a sequence of flag complexes, each obtained from the previous one by either an edge subdivision or its inverse. For flag spheres we pose new conjectures on their combinatorial structure forced by their face numbers, analogous to the extremal examples in the upper and lower bound theorems for simplicial spheres. Furthermore, we show that our algorithm to test the conjectures searches through the entire space of flag PL spheres of any given dimension., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Notation unified and presentation of proofs improved

The notion of r-stackedness for simplicial polytopes was introduced by McMullen and Walkup in 1971 as a generalization of stacked polytopes. In this paper, we define the r-stackedness for triangulated homology manifolds and study their basic properties. In addition, we find a new necessary condition for face vectors of triangulated manifolds when all the vertex links are polytopal., Comment: 15 pages