Matching polytopes,toric geometry,and the totally non-negative Grassmannian

In this paper we use toric geometry to investigate the topology of the totally non-negative part of the Grassmannian, denoted (Gr _k,n )_≥0. This is a cell complex whose cells Δ _G can be parameterized in terms of the combinatorics of plane-bipartite graphs G. To each cell Δ _G we associate a certain polytope P(G). The polytopes P(G) are analogous to the well-known Birkhoff polytopes, and we describe their face lattices in terms of matchings and unions of matchings of G. We also demonstrate a close connection between the polytopes P(G) and matroid polytopes. We use the data of P(G) to define an associated toric variety X _G . We use our technology to prove that the cell decomposition of (Gr _k,n )_≥0 is a CW complex, and furthermore, that the Euler characteristic of the closure of each cell of (Gr _k,n )_≥0 is 1. Alexander Postnikov was supported in part by NSF CAREER Award DMS-0504629. David Speyer was supported by a research fellowship from the Clay Mathematics Institute. Lauren Williams was supported in part by the NSF.     

Totally positive functions through nonstationary subdivision schemes

In this paper a new class of nonstationary subdivision schemes is proposed to construct functions having all the main properties of B-splines, namely compact support, central symmetry and total positivity. We show that the constructed nonstationary subdivision schemes are asympotically equivalent to the stationary subdivision scheme associated with a B-spline of suitable degree, but the resulting limit function has smaller support than the B-spline although keeping its regularity.     

Enumeration via ballot numbers

Several interesting combinatorial coefficients such as the Catalan numbers and the Bell numbers can be described either via a 3-term recurrence or as sums of (weighted) ballot numbers. This paper gives some general results connecting 3-term recurrences with ballot sequences with several applications to the enumeration of various combinatorial instances.     

Representing the space of linear programs as the Grassmann manifold

Each linear program (LP) has an optimal basis. The space of linear programs can be partitioned according to these bases, so called the basis partition. Discovering the structures of this partition is our goal. We represent the space of linear programs as the space of projection matrices, i.e., the Grassmann manifold. A dynamical system on the Grassmann manifold, first presented in Sonnevend et al. (Math Program 52:527–553), is used to characterize the basis partition as follows: From each projection matrix associated with an LP, the dynamical system defines a path and the path leads to an equilibrium projection matrix returning the optimal basis of the LP. We will present some basic properties of equilibrium points of the dynamical system and explicitly describe all eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the linearized dynamical system at equilibrium points. These properties will be used to determine the stability of equilibrium points and to investigate the basis partition. This paper is only a beginning of the research towards our goal. Research is supported in part by NUS Academic Research Grant R-146-000-084-112. The author wishes to thank Josef Stoer for his valuable comments on the paper and to thank Wingkeung To, Jie Wu, Xingwang Xu, Deqi Zhang and Chengbo Zhu for providing consultations on Differential Geometry and Grassmann manifolds and pointing out useful literature. The author is certainly responsible to all faults in the paper.     

Eulerian numbers: A spline perspective

In this paper, the spline interpretations of Eulerian numbers and refined Eulerian numbers are presented. Many classical results about Eulerian numbers can follow from the properties of B-splines directly, and some new results about the refined Eulerian numbers and descent polynomials are also derived. Specifically, the explicit and recurrence formulas for the refined Eulerian numbers and descent polynomials are obtained. This paper also provides a new approach to study Eulerian numbers.     

B样条在一些渐近组合问题中的应用

本文考察了B样条函数及其导数的渐近性质,并给出了收敛阶;考察了经典Eulerian数和两类广义Eulerian数的渐近性质;给出了以Hermite多项式表示的细化Eulerian数的渐近形式.Carlitz等人利用中心极限定理得到Eulerian数渐近公式的逼近阶为43阶.利用样条方法,我们得到更为精确的逼近阶.将样条方法引入到组合数的渐近分析中,为离散对象的研究提供了一种新的分析方法.     

On a generalized Eulerian distribution

The distribution with probability function p _k(n, , ) = A _{n, k}(, )/(+ )^[p], k = 0, 1, 2, ..., n, where the parameters and are positive real numbers, A _{n, k} (, ) is the generalized Eulerian number and ( + )^[n] = ( + )( + +1) ... ( + +n – 1), introduced and discussed by Janardan (1988, Ann. Inst. Statist. Math., 40, 439–450), is further studied. The probability generating function of the generalized Eulerian distribution is expressed by a generalized Eulerian polynomial which, when expanded suitably, provides the factorial moments in closed form in terms of non-central Stirling numbers. Further, it is shown that the generalized Eulerian distribution is unimodal and asymptotically normal.     

两个包含欧拉数的恒等式的等价性

基于n维多项式空间中基之间的线性变换,证明了两个包含欧拉数的恒等式是等价．     

The combinatorial properties of the Benoumhani polynomials for the Whitney numbers of Dowling lattices

In the papers (Benoumhani 1996;1997), Benoumhani defined two polynomials $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)$ and $F_{m,n,2}\left(x\right)$. Then, he defined $A_m(n,k)$ and $B_m(n,k)$ to be the polynomials satisfying $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)={\sum }_{k=0}^n{A}_m(n,k)x^{n?k}{(x+1)}^k$ and $F_{m,n,1}\left(x\right)={\sum }_{k=0}^n{B}_m(n,k)x^{n?k}{(x+1)}^k$. In this paper, we give a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of $A_{m+1}(n,k)$ and prove a symmetry of the coefficients, i.e., $\left[m^s\right]A_{m+1}(n,k)=\left[m^{n?s}\right]A_{m+1}(n,n?k)$. We give a combinatorial interpretation of $B_{m+1}(n,k)$ and prove that $B_{m+1}(n,n?1)$ is a polynomial in $m$ with non-negative integer coefficients. We also prove that if $n\ge 6$ then all coefficients of $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ except the coefficient of $m^{n?1}$ are non-negative integers. For all $n$, the coefficient of $m^{n?1}$ in $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ is $?(n?1)$, and when $n\le 5$ some other coefficients of $B_{m+1}(n,n?2)$ are also negative.     

Characterizations of rectangular totally and strictly totally positive matrices

An n×m real matrix A is said to be totally positive (strictly totally positive) if every minor is nonnegative (positive). In this paper, we study characterizations of these classes of matrices by minors, by their full rank factorization and by their thin QR factorization.     

两个包含欧拉数的恒等式的等价性(英文)

基于n维多项式空间中基之间的线性变换,证明了两个包含欧拉数的恒等式是等价.     

The Tropical Totally Positive Grassmannian

Tropical algebraic geometry is the geometry of the tropical semiring (ℝ, min, +). The theory of total positivity is a natural generalization of the study of matrices with all minors positive. In this paper we introduce the totally positive part of the tropicalization of an arbitrary affine variety, an object which has the structure of a polyhedral fan. We then investigate the case of the Grassmannian, denoting the resulting fan Trop⁺ Gr_k,n. We show that Trop⁺ Gr_2,n is the Stanley-Pitman fan, which is combinatorially the fan dual to the (type A_n−3) associahedron, and that Trop⁺ Gr_3,6 and Trop⁺ Gr_3,7 are closely related to the fans dual to the types D₄ and E₆ associahedra. These results are strikingly reminiscent of the results of Fomin and Zelevinsky, and Scott, who showed that the Grassmannian has a natural cluster algebra structure which is of types A_n−3, D₄, and E₆ for Gr_2,n, Gr_3,6, and Gr_3,7. We suggest a general conjecture about the positive part of the tropicalization of a cluster algebra.     

Almost strictly totally positive matrices

A determinantal identity, frequently used in the study of totally positive matrices, is extended, and then used to re-prove the well-known univariate knot insertion formula for B-splines. Also we introduce a class of matrices, intermediate between totally positive and strictly totally positive matrices. The determinantal identity is used to show any minor of such matrices is positive if and only if its diagonal entries are positive. Among others, this class of matrices includes B-splines collocation matrices and Hurwitz matrices.This author acknowledges a sabbatical stay at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in 1990, which was supported by a DGICYT grant from Spain.     

The approximation of a totally positive band matrix by a strictly banded totally positive one

Every nonsingular totally positive m-banded matrix is shown to be the product of m totally positive one-banded matrices and, therefore, the limit of strictly m-banded totally positive matrices. This result is then extended to (bi)infinite m-banded totally positive matrices with linearly independent rows and columns. In the process, such matrices are shown to possess at least one diagonal whose principal sections are all nonzero. As a consequence, such matrices are seen to be approximable by strictly m-banded totally positive ones.     

Possible spectra of totally positive matrices

For any given set S of n distinct positive numbers, we construct a symmetric n-by-n (strictly) totally positive matrix whose spectrum is S. Thus, in order to be the spectrum of an n-by-n totally positive matrix, it is necessary and sufficient that n numbers be positive and distinct.     

Square classes of totally positive units

In this article, we investigate some conditions for a real cyclic extension K over Q to satisfy the property that every totally positive unit of K is a square. As an application, we give a partial answer to Taussky's conjecture. We then extend our result to real abelian extensions of certain type.