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Richard Ehrenborg

Publications and source records attributed to Richard Ehrenborg.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The Möbius function of partitions with restricted block size

We study filters in the partition lattice formed by restricting to partitions by type. The Möbius function is determined in terms of the easier-to-compute descent set statistics on permutations and the Möbius function of filters in the lattice of integer compositions. When the underlying integer partition is a knapsack partition, the Möbius function on integer compositions is determined by a topological argument. In this proof the permutahedron makes a cameo appearance.

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Exponential Dowling structures

The notion of exponential Dowling structures is introduced, generalizing Stanley's original theory of exponential structures. Enumerative theory is developed to determine the Möbius function of exponential Dowling structures, including a restriction of these structures to elements whose types satisfy a semigroup condition. Stanley's study of permutations associated with exponential structures leads to a similar vein of study for exponential Dowling structures. In particular, for the extended r-divisible partition lattice we show the Möbius function is, up to a sign, the number of permutations in the symmetric group on rn+k elements having descent set {r, 2r, ..., nr}. Using Wachs' original EL-labeling of the r-divisible partition lattice, the extended r-divisible partition lattice is shown to be EL-shellable.

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Level Eulerian Posets

The notion of level posets is introduced. This class of infinite posets has the property that between every two adjacent ranks the same bipartite graph occurs. When the adjacency matrix is indecomposable, we determine the length of the longest interval one needs to check to verify Eulerianness. Furthermore, we show that every level Eulerian poset associated to an indecomposable matrix has even order. A condition for verifying shellability is introduced and is automated using the algebra of walks. Applying the Skolem--Mahler--Lech theorem, the ${\bf ab}$-series of a level poset is shown to be a rational generating function in the non-commutative variables ${\bf a}$ and ${\bf b}$. In the case the poset is also Eulerian, the analogous result holds for the ${\bf cd}$-series. Using coalgebraic techniques a method is developed to recognize the ${\bf cd}$-series matrix of a level Eulerian poset.

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A geometric approach to acyclic orientations

The set of acyclic orientations of a connected graph with a given sink has a natural poset structure. We give a geometric proof of a result of Jim Propp: this poset is the disjoint union of distributive lattices.

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Affine and toric hyperplane arrangements

We extend the Billera-Ehrenborg-Readdy map between the intersection lattice and face lattice of a central hyperplane arrangement to affine and toric hyperplane arrangements. For arrangements on the torus, we also generalize Zaslavsky's fundamental results on the number of regions.

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Cyclotomic factors of the descent set polynomial

We introduce the notion of the descent set polynomial as an alternative way of encoding the sizes of descent classes of permutations. Descent set polynomials exhibit interesting factorization patterns. We explore the question of when particular cyclotomic factors divide these polynomials. As an instance we deduce that the proportion of odd entries in the descent set statistics in the symmetric group S_n only depends on the number on 1's in the binary expansion of n. We observe similar properties for the signed descent set statistics.

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The Complex of Non-Crossing Diagonals of a Polygon

Given a convex n-gon P in the Euclidean plane, it is well known that the simplicial complex θ(P) with vertex set given by diagonals in P and facets given by triangulations of P is the boundary complex of a polytope of dimension n-3. We prove that for any non-convex polygonal region P with n vertices and h+1 boundary components, θ(P) is a ball of dimension n+3h-4. We also provide a new proof that θ(P) is a sphere when P is convex.

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Enumerative properties of Ferrers graphs

We define a class of bipartite graphs that correspond naturally with Ferrers diagrams. We give expressions for the number of spanning trees, the number of Hamiltonian paths when applicable, the chromatic polynomial, and the chromatic symmetric function. We show that the linear coefficient of the chromatic polynomial is given by the excedance set statistic.

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Asymptotics of the Euler number of bipartite graphs

We define the Euler number of a bipartite graph on $n$ vertices to be the number of labelings of the vertices with $1,2,...,n$ such that the vertices alternate in being local maxima and local minima. We reformulate the problem of computing the Euler number of certain subgraphs of the Cartesian product of a graph $G$ with the path $P_m$ in terms of self adjoint operators. The asymptotic expansion of the Euler number is given in terms of the eigenvalues of the associated operator. For two classes of graphs, the comb graphs and the Cartesian product $P_2 \Box P_m$, we numerically solve the eigenvalue problem.

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Decomposition theorem for the cd-index of Gorenstein* posets

We prove a decomposition theorem for the cd-index of a Gorenstein* poset analogous to the decomposition theorem for the intersection cohomology of a toric variety. From this we settle a conjecture of Stanley that the cd-index of Gorenstein* lattices is minimized on Boolean algebras.

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Classification of the factorial functions of Eulerian binomial and Sheffer posets

We give a complete classification of the factorial functions of Eulerian binomial posets. The factorial function B(n) either coincides with $n!$, the factorial function of the infinite Boolean algebra, or $2^{n-1}$, the factorial function of the infinite butterfly poset. We also classify the factorial functions for Eulerian Sheffer posets. An Eulerian Sheffer poset with binomial factorial function $B(n) = n!$ has Sheffer factorial function D(n) identical to that of the infinite Boolean algebra, the infinite Boolean algebra with two new coatoms inserted, or the infinite cubical poset. Moreover, we are able to classify the Sheffer factorial functions of Eulerian Sheffer posets with binomial factorial function $B(n) = 2^{n-1}$ as the doubling of an upside down tree with ranks 1 and 2 modified. When we impose the further condition that a given Eulerian binomial or Eulerian Sheffer poset is a lattice, this forces the poset to be the infinite Boolean algebra $B_X$ or the infinite cubical lattice $C_X^{< \infty}$. We also include several poset constructions that have the same factorial functions as the infinite cubical poset, demonstrating that classifying Eulerian Sheffer posets is a difficult problem.

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Ehrhart-Macdonald reciprocity extended

For a convex polytope P with rational vertices, we count the number of integer points in integral dilates of P and its interior. The Ehrhart-Macdonald reciprocity law gives an intimate relation between these two counting functions. A similar counting function and reciprocity law exists for the sum of all solid angles at integer points in dilates of P. We derive a unifying generalization of these reciprocity theorems which follows in a natural way from Brion's Theorem on conic decompositions of polytopes.

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The Tchebyshev transforms of the first and second kind

We give an in-depth study of the Tchebyshev transforms of the first and second kind of a poset, recently discovered by Hetyei. The Tchebyshev transform (of the first kind) preserves desirable combinatorial properties, including Eulerianess (due to Hetyei) and EL-shellability. It is also a linear transformation on flag vectors. When restricted to Eulerian posets, it corresponds to the Billera, Ehrenborg and Readdy omega map of oriented matroids. One consequence is that nonnegativity of the cd-index is maintained. The Tchebyshev transform of the second kind is a Hopf algebra endomorphism on the space of quasisymmetric functions QSym. It coincides with Stembridge's peak enumerator for Eulerian posets, but differs for general posets. The complete spectrum is determined, generalizing work of Billera, Hsiao and van Willigenburg. The type B quasisymmetric function of a poset is introduced. Like Ehrenborg's classical quasisymmetric function of a poset, this map is a comodule morphism with respect to the quasisymmetric functions QSym. Similarities among the omega map, Ehrenborg's r-signed Birkhoff transform, and the Tchebyshev transforms motivate a general study of chain maps. One such occurrence, the chain map of the second kind, is a Hopf algebra endomorphism on the quasisymmetric functions QSym and is an instance of Aguiar, Bergeron and Sottile's result on the terminal object in the category of combinatorial Hopf algebras. In contrast, the chain map of the first kind is both an algebra map and a comodule endomorphism on the type B quasisymmetric functions BQSym.

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