Signed GLMY Homology of Signed Graphs via Double Covers

Abstract

We define a signed GLMY chain complex over $\mathbb{R}$ for signed digraphs using sheet-labelled regular paths. The complex is naturally isomorphic to the deck anti-invariant subcomplex of the ordinary GLMY complex on the signed double cover. The double-cover realization yields switching invariance and recovers ordinary GLMY homology for switching-balanced signings. Bidirected completion gives an orientation-independent homology theory for signed graphs. For a signed graph, the zero-dimensional homology identifies with the kernel of the signed Laplacian and has dimension equal to the number of balanced connected components. Signed GLMY homology is functorial under signed weak morphisms, which combine vertex maps with switching functions and allow compatible arrow contractions. For signed digraphs, the all-positive reduction retains the orientation sensitivity of ordinary GLMY homology, while explicit computations show additional sensitivity to the arrow signs. For a fixed digraph with five vertices and nine arrows, we classify all 512 arrow signings and obtain exactly four signed Betti vectors. Precisely 16 signings have nonzero second signed GLMY homology.