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Federico Castillo

Publications and source records attributed to Federico Castillo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Almost factorial many facets for 0/1-polytopes

A long-standing question posed by Fukuda (1995) and Ziegler (2000) inquires about the asymptotic behavior of $g(n)$, the maximum number of facets that an $n$-dimensional $0/1$-polytope can have. A remarkable result by B\'ar\'any and P\'or (2001) via probabilistic methods established that $g(n)$ is at least superexponential in $n$. In this paper, we propose a drastic change of perspective, which leads us to show that for each $n\geq 10$ there exists a $0/1$-polytope having at least $(n-\lceil 2\log_2 (n)\rceil - 1)!$ facets. This provides a significant improvement over the currently known lower bounds for $g(n)$. Furthermore, when combined with known upper bounds, our construction establishes the asymptotic behavior of $\log g(n)$ up to an error of $O((\log n)^2)$. The methods employed throughout this paper are elementary and fully deterministic. The underlying ideas in our proof stem from the combinatorics of hypersimplices and permutohedra.

math.CO↗
arXiv2026

Polytopal bases for barycentric subdivisions

Several important fans studied at the interface of combinatorics and algebraic geometry arise from barycentric subdivisions of other fans; the central example is the braid arrangement. The collection of faces of the standard simplex forms a basis for the deformation cone of the braid arrangement, i.e. the cone of generalized permutahedra. We reinterpret this simplicial basis as the collection of deep truncations of the standard simplex, and systematically abstract this perspective to produce polytopal bases for the deformation cones of barycentric subdivisions of simplicial projective fans. We further demonstrate that these bases restrict to bases for deformation cones of fans obtained by a sequence of stellar subdivisions induced by a building set. When the starting polytope is smooth with all edge lengths equal to one, we show that we can upgrade our basis to a collection of flat truncations. We then investigate two extensions of the braid arrangement where we are able to further upgrade our flat truncation basis to an indecomposable polytopal basis: 1. the barycentric subdivision of the normal fan of a product of standard simplices and 2. the barycentric subdivision of the braid arrangement. We discuss connections to, and implications for, Archimedean solids and regular polytopes, permutahedral plates, root polytopes, permutoassociahedra, simple permutonestohedra, cosmohedra, omnitruncations of Coxeter permutahedra, bipermutahedra, $\pi$-colored fans, and tropical $\alpha$ and $\beta$ classes.

math.CO↗
arXiv2026

A differential characterization of volume polynomials of permutohedra

We study a graded vector space of polynomials associated to a square matrix, defined by a finite difference condition along the rows. We show this space coincides with one defined by directional derivatives, and prove it is finite-dimensional precisely when all principal minors are nonzero. In that case, its dimension in each degree equals a binomial coefficient, giving total dimension a power of two. For Cartan matrices of irreducible root systems, we construct an explicit basis of volume polynomials of faces of the associated permutohedra, yielding an elementary criterion, which we call geometricity, for expressing a polynomial as a linear combination of these volume polynomials.

math.CO↗
arXiv2025

On a Computational Approach to the Nash Blowup Problem

In this paper we describe the implementation that led to the counterexamples to the Nash blowup conjectures recently discovered by the authors. We also provide new examples of toric varieties with prescribed singularities that are not resolved by the normalized Nash blowup, including cyclic quotient singularities, toric hypersurfaces, and Q-factorial Gorenstein singularities. In addition, we report extensive computational evidence: tens of thousands of two-dimensional toric varieties that are resolved by iterating the Nash blowup, and millions of three-dimensional toric varieties that are resolved by iterating the normalized Nash blowup. This provides positive evidence for the remaining open cases of the conjectures.

math.AG↗
arXiv2025

Paper BOAT

We derive a formula for computing the size of lower Bruhat intervals for elements in the dominant cone of an affine Weyl group of type $A$. This enumeration problem is reduced to counting lattice points in certain polyhedra. Our main tool is a decomposition -- or tiling -- of each interval into smaller, combinatorially tractable pieces, which we call paper boats. We also conjecture a generalization of this formula to all affine Weyl groups, restricted to elements in the lowest two-sided Kazhdan-Lusztig cell, which contains almost all of the elements.

math.CO↗
arXiv2025

Characteristic-free normalized Nash blowup of toric varieties

We introduce conditions on cones of normal toric varieties under which the polyhedron defining the normalized Nash blowup does not depend on the characteristic of the base field. As a consequence, we deduce several results on the resolution of singularities properties of normalized Nash blowups. In particular, we recover all known results of the families that can be resolved via normalized Nash blowups in positive characteristic. We also provide new families of toric varieties whose normalized Nash blowup is non-singular in arbitrary characteristic.

math.AG↗
arXiv2024

Solving one-body ensemble N-representability problems with spin

The Pauli exclusion principle is fundamental to understanding electronic quantum systems. It namely constrains the expected occupancies $n_i$ of orbitals $\varphi_i$ according to $0 \leq n_i \leq 2$. In this work, we first refine the underlying one-body $N$-representability problem by taking into account simultaneously spin symmetries and a potential degree of mixedness $\boldsymbol w$ of the $N$-electron quantum state. We then derive a comprehensive solution to this problem by using basic tools from representation theory, convex analysis and discrete geometry. Specifically, we show that the set of admissible orbital one-body reduced density matrices is fully characterized by linear spectral constraints on the natural orbital occupation numbers, defining a convex polytope $\Sigma_{N,S}(\boldsymbol w) \subset [0,2]^d$. These constraints are independent of $M$ and the number $d$ of orbitals, while their dependence on $N, S$ is linear, and we can thus calculate them for arbitrary system sizes and spin quantum numbers. Our results provide a crucial missing cornerstone for ensemble density (matrix) functional theory.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Symmetrizing polytopes and posets

Motivated by the authors' work on permuto-associahedra, which can be considered as a symmetrization of the associahedron using the symmetric group, we introduce and study the $\mathfrak{G}$-symmetrization of an arbitrary polytope $P$ for any reflection group $\mathfrak{G}$. We show that the combinatorics, and moreover, the normal fan of such a symmetrization can be recovered from its refined fundamental fan, a decorated poset describing how the normal fan of $P$ subdivides the fundamental chamber associated to the reflection group $\mathfrak{G}$. One important application of our results is providing a way to approach the realization problem of a $\mathfrak{G}$-symmetric poset F, that is, the problem of constructing a polytope whose face poset is F. Instead of working with the original poset F, we look at its dual poset T (which is $\mathfrak{G}$-symmetric as well) and focus on a generating subposet Z of T, and reduce the problem to realizing Z as a refined fundamental fan.

math.CO↗
arXiv2023

On the size of Bruhat intervals

For affine Weyl groups and elements associated to dominant coweights, we present a convex geometry formula for the size of the corresponding lower Bruhat intervals. Extensive computer calculations for these groups have led us to believe that a similar formula exists for all lower Bruhat intervals.

math.CO↗
arXiv2023

Lineup polytopes of product of simplices

Consider a real point configuration $\mathbf{A}$ of size $n$ and an integer $r \leq n$. The vertices of the $r$-lineup polytope of $\mathbf{A}$ correspond to the possible orderings of the top $r$ points of the configuration obtained by maximizing a linear functional. The motivation behind the study of lineup polytopes comes from the representability problem in quantum chemistry. In that context, the relevant point configurations are the vertices of hypersimplices and the integer points contained in an inflated regular simplex. The central problem consists in providing an inequality representation of lineup polytopes as efficiently as possible. In this article, we adapt the developed techniques to the quantum information theory setup. The appropriate point configurations become the vertices of products of simplices. A particular case is that of lineup polytopes of cubes, which form a type $B$ analog of hypersimplices, where the symmetric group of type~$A$ naturally acts. To obtain the inequalities, we center our attention on the combinatorics and the symmetry of products of simplices to obtain an algorithmic solution. Along the way, we establish relationships between lineup polytopes of products of simplices with the Gale order, standard Young tableaux, and the Resonance arrangement.

math.CO↗
arXiv2022

K-polynomials of multiplicity-free varieties

We describe the twisted $K$-polynomial of multiplicity-free varieties in a multiprojective setting. More precisely, for multiplicity-free varieties, we show that the support of the twisted $K$-polynomial is a generalized polymatroid. As applications, we show that the support of the M\"obius function of a linear polymatroid is a generalized polymatroid, and we settle a conjecture of Monical, Tokcan and Yong regarding Grothendieck polynomials for the case of zero-one Schubert polynomials.

math.AG↗
arXiv2022

Partial permutohedra

Partial permutohedra are lattice polytopes which were recently introduced and studied by Heuer and Striker. For positive integers $m$ and $n$, the partial permutohedron $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ is the convex hull of all vectors in $\{0,1,\ldots,n\}^m$ whose nonzero entries are distinct. We study the face lattice, volume and Ehrhart polynomial of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$, and our methods and results include the following. For any $m$ and $n$, we obtain a bijection between the nonempty faces of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ and certain chains of subsets of $\{1,\dots,m\}$, thereby confirming a conjecture of Heuer and Striker, and we then use this characterization of faces to obtain a closed expression for the $h$-polynomial of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$. For any $m$ and $n$ with $n\ge m-1$, we use a pyramidal subdivision of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ to establish a recursive formula for the normalized volume of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$, from which we then obtain closed expressions for this volume. We also use a sculpting process (in which $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ is reached by successively removing certain pieces from a simplex or hypercube) to obtain closed expressions for the Ehrhart polynomial of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ with arbitrary $m$ and fixed $n\le 3$, the normalized volume of $\mathcal{P}(m,4)$ with arbitrary $m$, and the Ehrhart polynomial of $\mathcal{P}(m,n)$ with fixed $m\le4$ and arbitrary $n\ge m-1$.

math.CO↗
arXiv2022

Social-ecological feedbacks drive tipping points in farming system diversification

The emergence and impact of tipping points have garnered significant interest in both the social and natural sciences. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of feedbacks between human and natural systems, it is often assumed that the observed nonlinear dynamics in these coupled systems rests within either underlying human or natural processes, rather than the rates at which they interact. Using adoption of agricultural diversification practices as a case study, we show how two stable management paradigms (one dominated by conventional, homogeneous practices, the other by diversified practices) can emerge purely from temporal feedbacks between human decisions and ecological responses. We explore how this temporal mechanism of tipping points provides insight into designing more effective interventions that promote farmers transitions towards sustainable agriculture. Moreover, our flexible modeling framework could be applied to other cases to provide insight into numerous questions in social-ecological systems research and environmental policy.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2021

A pithy look at the Polytope Algebra

This is a hands on introduction to McMullen's Polytope Algebra. More than interesting on its own, this algebra was McMullen's tool to give a combinatorial proof of the g-theorem.

math.CO↗
arXiv2021

Double Schubert polynomials do have saturated Newton polytopes

We prove that double Schubert polynomials have the Saturated Newton Polytope property. This settles a conjecture by Monical, Tokcan and Yong. Our ideas are motivated by the theory of multidegrees. We introduce a notion of standardization of ideals that enables us to study non-standard multigradings. This allows us to show that the support of the multidegree polynomial of each Cohen-Macaulay prime ideal, and in particular, that of each Schubert determinantal ideal is a discrete polymatroid.

math.AC↗
arXiv2021

The permuto-associahedron revisited

A classic problem connecting algebraic and geometric combinatorics is the realization problem: given a poset, determine whether there exists a polytope whose face lattice is the poset. In 1990s, Kapranov defined a poset as a hybrid between the face poset of a permutohedron and that of an associahedron, and he asked whether this poset is realizable. Shortly after his question was posed, Reiner and Ziegler provided a realization. Based on our previous work on the nested braid fan, we provide in this paper a different realization of Kapranov's poset by constructing the vertex set and the normal fan of a permuto-associahedron simultaneously.

math.CO↗