Parabolic double cosets in Coxeter groups

International audience Parabolic subgroups WI of Coxeter systems (W,S) and their ordinary and double cosets W/WI and WI\W/WJ appear in many contexts in combinatorics and Lie theory, including the geometry and topology of generalized flag varieties and the symmetry groups of regular polytopes. The set of ordinary cosets wWI , for I ⊆ S, forms the Coxeter complex of W , and is well-studied. In this extended abstract, we look at a less studied object: the set of all double cosets WIwWJ for I,J ⊆ S. Each double coset can be presented by many different triples (I, w, J). We describe what we call the lex-minimal presentation and prove that there exists a unique such choice for each double coset. Lex-minimal presentations can be enumerated via a finite automaton depending on the Coxeter graph for (W, S). In particular, we present a formula for the number of parabolic double cosets with a fixed minimal element when W is the symmetric group Sn. In that case, parabolic subgroups are also known as Young subgroups. Our formula is almost always linear time computable in n, and the formula can be generalized to any Coxeter group.

Note on the residual finiteness of Artin groups

Let A be an Artin group. A partition {\mathcal{P}} of the set of standard generators of A is called admissible if, for all {X,Y\in\mathcal{P}} , {X\neq Y} , there is at most one pair {(s,t)\in X\times Y} which has a relation. An admissible partition {\mathcal{P}} determines a quotient Coxeter graph {\Gamma/\mathcal{P}} . We prove that, if {\Gamma/\mathcal{P}} is either a forest or an even triangle free Coxeter graph and {A_{X}} is residually finite for all {X\in\mathcal{P}} , then A is residually finite.

Parabolic Double Cosets in Coxeter Groups

Parabolic subgroups $W_I$ of Coxeter systems $(W,S)$, as well as their ordinary and double quotients $W / W_I$ and $W_I \backslash W / W_J$, appear in many contexts in combinatorics and Lie theory, including the geometry and topology of generalized flag varieties and the symmetry groups of regular polytopes. The set of ordinary cosets $w W_I$, for $I \subseteq S$, forms the Coxeter complex of $W$, and is well-studied. In this article we look at a less studied object: the set of all double cosets $W_I w W_J$ for $I, J \subseteq S$. Double cosets are not uniquely presented by triples $(I,w,J)$. We describe what we call the lex-minimal presentation, and prove that there exists a unique such object for each double coset. Lex-minimal presentations are then used to enumerate double cosets via a finite automaton depending on the Coxeter graph for $(W,S)$. As an example, we present a formula for the number of parabolic double cosets with a fixed minimal element when $W$ is the symmetric group $S_n$ (in this case, parabolic subgroups are also known as Young subgroups). Our formula is almost always linear time computable in $n$, and we show how it can be generalized to any Coxeter group with little additional work. We spell out formulas for all finite and affine Weyl groups in the case that $w$ is the identity element.

Even More Infinite Ball Packings from Lorentzian Root Systems

Boyd (1974) proposed a class of infinite ball packings that are generated by inversions. Later, Maxwell (1983) interpreted Boyd's construction in terms of root systems in Lorentz spaces. In particular, he showed that the space-like weight vectors correspond to a ball packing if and only if the associated Coxeter graph is of "level 2"'. In Maxwell's work, the simple roots form a basis of the representations space of the Coxeter group. In several recent studies, the more general based root system is considered, where the simple roots are only required to be positively independent. In this paper, we propose a geometric version of "level'' for root systems to replace Maxwell's graph theoretical "level''. Then we show that Maxwell's results naturally extend to the more general root systems with positively independent simple roots. In particular, the space-like extreme rays of the Tits cone correspond to a ball packing if and only if the root system is of level $2$. We also present a partial classification of level-$2$ root systems, namely the Coxeter $d$-polytopes of level-$2$ with $d+2$ facets.

On Generalizations of the Petersen Graph and the Coxeter Graph

In this note we consider two related infinite families of graphs, which generalize the Petersen and the Coxeter graph. The main result proves that these graphs are cores. It is determined which of these graphs are vertex/edge/arc-transitive or distance-regular. Girths and odd girths are computed. A problem on hamiltonicity is posed.A Corrigendum for this paper was added on August 19, 2017.

Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of boolean elements

International audience We give closed combinatorial product formulas for Kazhdan–Lusztig poynomials and their parabolic analogue of type $q$ in the case of boolean elements, introduced in [M. Marietti, Boolean elements in Kazhdan–Lusztig theory, J. Algebra 295 (2006)], in Coxeter groups whose Coxeter graph is a tree. Such formulas involve Catalan numbers and use a combinatorial interpretation of the Coxeter graph of the group. In the case of classical Weyl groups, this combinatorial interpretation can be restated in terms of statistics of (signed) permutations. As an application of the formulas, we compute the intersection homology Poincaré polynomials of the Schubert varieties of boolean elements. Nous donnons des formules combinatoires pour les polynômes de Kazhdan-Lusztig et leurs analogues paraboliques de type $q$ pour les éléments booléens, introduite dans [M. Marietti, Boolean elements in Kazhdan–Lusztig theory, J. Algebra 295 (2006)], dans les groupes de Coxeter dont le graphe de Coxeter est un arbre. Ces formules utilisent les nombres de Catalan et une interprétation combinatoire des graphes du groupe de Coxeter. Dans le cas des groupes de Weyl classiques, cette interprétation combinatoire peut être reformulée en termes de statistiques de permutations avec signe. Avec ces formules, on peut calculer le polynôme de l’intersection homologie de Poincaré pour la variété de Schubert de éléments booléens.