Linear bounds on characteristic polynomials of matroids

Let χ(t) = a0tn – a1tn−1 + ⋯ + (−1)rartn−r be the chromatic polynomial of a graph, the characteristic polynomial of a matroid, or the characteristic polynomial of an arrangement of hyperplanes. For any integer k = 0, 1, …, r and real number x ⩾ k − r − 1, we obtain a linear bound of the coefficient sequence, that is \begin{align*} {r+x\choose k}\leqslant \sum_{i=0}^{k}a_{i}{x\choose k-i}\leqslant {m+x\choose k}, \end{align*} where m is the size of the graph, matroid, or hyperplane arrangement. It extends Whitney’s sign-alternating theorem, Meredith’s upper bound theorem, and Dowling and Wilson’s lower bound theorem on the coefficient sequence. In the end, we also propose a problem on the combinatorial interpretation of the above inequality.

The Varchenko determinant of a Coxeter arrangement

The Varchenko determinant is the determinant of a matrix defined from an arrangement of hyperplanes. Varchenko proved that this determinant has a beautiful factorization. It is, however, not possible to use this factorization to compute a Varchenko determinant from a certain level of complexity. Precisely at this point, we provide an explicit formula for this determinant for the hyperplane arrangements associated to the finite Coxeter groups. The intersections of hyperplanes with the chambers of such arrangements have nice properties which play a central role for the calculation of their associated determinants.

Gallery Posets of Supersolvable Arrangements

International audience We introduce a poset structure on the reduced galleries in a supersolvable arrangement of hyperplanes. In particular, for Coxeter groups of type A or B, we construct a poset of reduced words for the longest element whose Hasse diagram is the graph of reduced words. Using Rambau's Suspension Lemma, we show that these posets are homotopy equivalent to spheres. We furthermore conjecture that its intervals are either homotopy equivalent to spheres or are contractible. One may view this as a analogue of a result of Edelman and Walker on the homotopy type of intervals of a poset of chambers of a hyperplane arrangement.

COHOMOLOGY RINGS OF TORIC HYPERKÄHLER MANIFOLDS

A hyperKähler quotient of a quaternionic vector space HN by a subtorus of TN is called a toric hyperKähler manifold if it has a manifold structure. We describe the cohomology ring of a toric hyperKähler manifold in two ways. Since its topology depends only on the subtorus, we describe its cohomology ring only in terms of the subtorus. On the other hand, a toric hyperKähler manifold is constructed from a certain arrangement of hyperplanes. So we also describe its cohomology ring in terms of the arrangement of hyperplanes.