Socles of Buchsbaum modules, complexes and posets

The socle of a graded Buchsbaum module is studied and is related to its local cohomology modules. This algebraic result is then applied to face enumeration of Buchsbaum simplicial complexes and posets. In particular, new necessary conditions on face numbers and Betti numbers of such complexes and posets are established. These conditions are used to settle in the affirmative Kühnel's conjecture for the maximum value of the Euler characteristic of a 2k-dimensional simplicial manifold on n vertices as well as Kalai's conjecture providing a lower bound on the number of edges of a simplicial manifold in terms of its dimension, number of vertices, and the first Betti number.     

Resolutions of Facet Ideals

Abstract

In this paper we study the resolution of a facet ideal associated with a special class of simplicial complexes introduced by Faridi. These simplicial complexes are called trees, and are a generalization (to higher dimensions) of the concept of a tree in graph theory. We show that the Koszul homology of the facet ideal I of a tree is generated by the homology classes of monomial cycles, determine the projective dimension and the regularity of I if the tree is 1-dimensional, show that the graded Betti numbers of I satisfy an alternating sum property if the tree is connected in codimension 1, and classify all trees whose facet ideal has a linear resolution.     

Iterated homology and decompositions of simplicial complexes

Kalai has conjectured that a simplicial complex can be partitioned into Boolean algebras at least as roughly, as a shifting-preserving collapse sequence of its algebraically shifted complex. In particular, then, a simplicial complex could (conjecturally) be partitioned into Boolean intervals whose sizes are indexed by its iterated Betti numbers, a generalization of ordinary homology Betti numbers. This would imply a long-standing conjecture made (separately) by Garsia and Stanley concerning partitions of Cohen-Macaulay complexes into Boolean intervals. We prove a relaxation of Kalai’s conjecture, showing that a simplicial complex can be partitioned into recursively defined spanning trees of Boolean intervals indexed by its iterated Betti numbers.     

A combinatorial decomposition of simplicial complexes

We find a decomposition of simplicial complexes that implies and sharpens the characterization (due to Björner and Kalai) of thef-vector and Betti numbers of a simplicial complex. It generalizes a result of Stanley, who proved the acyclic case, and settles a conjecture of Stanley and Kalai.     

Asymptotique des nombres de Betti,invariants $l^2$ et laminations

Let K be a finite simplicial complex. We are interested in the asymptotic behavior of the Betti numbers of a sequence of finite sheeted covers of $K$, when normalized by the index of the covers. W. Lück, has proved that for regular coverings, these sequences of numbers converge to the $l^2$ Betti numbers of the associated (in general infinite) limit regular cover of K. In this article we investigate the non regular case. We show that the sequences of normalized Betti numbers still converge. But this time the good limit object is no longer the associated limit cover of K, but a lamination by simplicial complexes. We prove that the limits of sequences of normalized Betti numbers are equal to the $l^2$ Betti numbers of this lamination. Even if the associated limit cover of K is contractible, its $l^2$ Betti numbers are in general different from those of the lamination. We construct such examples. We also give a dynamical condition for these numbers to be equal. It turns out that this condition is equivalent to a former criterion due to M. Farber. We hope that our results clarify its meaning and show to which extent it is optimal. In a second part of this paper we study non free measure-preserving ergodic actions of a countable group $\Gamma$ on a standard Borel probability space. Extending group-theoretic similar results of the second author, we obtain relations between the $l^{2}$ Betti numbers of $\Gamma$ and those of the generic stabilizers. For example, if $b_1^{(2)} (\Gamma ) \neq 0$, then either almost each stabilizer is finite or almost each stabilizer has an infinite first $l^2$ Betti number.

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Asymptotique des nombres de Betti, invariants $l^2$ et laminations

     

Iterated Homology of Simplicial Complexes

We develop an iterated homology theory for simplicial complexes. Thistheory is a variation on one due to Kalai. For a simplicial complex of dimension d – 1, and each r = 0, ...,d, we define rth iterated homology groups of . When r = 0, this corresponds to ordinary homology. If is a cone over , then when r = 1, we get the homology of . If a simplicial complex is (nonpure) shellable, then its iterated Betti numbers give the restriction numbers, h _k,j , of the shelling. Iterated Betti numbers are preserved by algebraic shifting, and may be interpreted combinatorially in terms of the algebraically shifted complex in several ways. In addition, the depth of a simplicial complex can be characterized in terms of its iterated Betti numbers.     

Enriched homology and cohomology modules of simiplicial complexes

For a simplicial complex Δ on {1, 2,…, n} we define enriched homology and cohomology modules. They are graded modules over k[x ₁,…, x _n ] whose ranks are equal to the dimensions of the reduced homology and cohomology groups. We characterize Cohen-Macaulay, l-Cohen-Macaulay, Buchsbaum, and Gorenstein^* complexes Δ, and also orientable homology manifolds in terms of the enriched modules. We introduce the notion of girth for simplicial complexes and make a conjecture relating the girth to invariants of the simplicial complex. We also put strong vanishing conditions on the enriched homology modules and describe the simplicial complexes we then get. They are block designs and include Steiner systems S(c, d, n) and cyclic polytopes of even dimension. This paper is to a large extent a complete rewriting of a previous preprint, “Hierarchies of simplicial complexes via the BGG-correspondence”. Also Propositions 1.7 and 3.1 have been generalized to cell complexes in [11].     

Measuring and computing natural generators for homology groups

We develop a method for measuring homology classes. This involves two problems. First, we define the size of a homology class, using ideas from relative homology. Second, we define an optimal basis of a homology group to be the basis whose elements' size have the minimal sum. We provide a greedy algorithm to compute the optimal basis and measure classes in it. The algorithm runs in O(βn³log²n) time, where n is the size of the simplicial complex and β is the Betti number of the homology group. Finally, we prove the stability of our result. The algorithm can be adapted to measure any given class.     

Law of large numbers for Betti numbers of homogeneous and spatially independent random simplicial complexes

The Linial–Meshulam complex model is a natural higher dimensional analog of the Erd?s–Rényi graph model. In recent years, Linial and Peled established a limit theorem for Betti numbers of Linial–Meshulam complexes with an appropriate scaling of the underlying parameter. The present article aims to extend that result to more general random simplicial complex models. We introduce a class of homogeneous and spatially independent random simplicial complexes, including the Linial–Meshulam complex model and the random clique complex model as special cases, and we study the asymptotic behavior of their Betti numbers. Moreover, we obtain the convergence of the empirical spectral distributions of their Laplacians. A key element in the argument is the local weak convergence of simplicial complexes. Inspired by the work of Linial and Peled, we establish the local weak limit theorem for homogeneous and spatially independent random simplicial complexes.     

Topology of matching,chessboard, and general bounded degree graph complexes

We survey results and techniques in the topological study of simplicial complexes of (di-, multi-, hyper-)graphs whose node degrees are bounded from above. These complexes have arisen in a variety of contexts in the literature. The most well-known examples are the matching complex and the chessboard complex. The topics covered here include computation of Betti numbers, representations of the symmetric group on rational homology, torsion in integral homology, homotopy properties, and connections with other fields.In memory of Gian-Carlo Rota     

Betti numbers of strongly color-stable ideals and squarefree strongly color-stable ideals

In this paper, we will show that the color-squarefree operation does not change the graded Betti numbers of strongly color-stable ideals. In addition, we will give an example of a nonpure balanced complex which shows that colored algebraic shifting, which was introduced by Babson and Novik, does not always preserve the dimension of reduced homology groups of balanced simplicial complexes. The author is supported by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists.     

Moment-angle complexes from simplicial posets

We extend the construction of moment-angle complexes to simplicial posets by associating a certain T ^m -space Z _S to an arbitrary simplicial poset S on m vertices. Face rings ℤ[S] of simplicial posets generalise those of simplicial complexes, and give rise to new classes of Gorenstein and Cohen-Macaulay rings. Our primary motivation is to study the face rings ℤ[S] by topological methods. The space Z _S has many important topological properties of the original moment-angle complex Z _K associated to a simplicial complex K. In particular, we prove that the integral cohomology algebra of Z _S is isomorphic to the Tor-algebra of the face ring ℤ[S]. This leads directly to a generalisation of Hochster’s theorem, expressing the algebraic Betti numbers of the ring ℤ[S] in terms of the homology of full subposets in S. Finally, we estimate the total amount of homology of Z _S from below by proving the toral rank conjecture for the moment-angle complexes Z _S .     

Dihedral homology and Hermitian K-theory

We establish a rational isomorphism between certain relative versions of Hermitian K-theory and the dihedral homology of simplicial Hermitian rings. This is the dihedral analogue of Goodwillie's result for cyclic homology and algebraic K-theory. In particular, we describe involutions on (negative) cyclic homology and the K-theory of simplicial rings. We show that Goodwillie's map from K-theory to negative cyclic homology can be chosen to preserve involutions. By work of Burghelea and Fiedorowicz the invariants of the involution on K-theory can be identified with symmetric Hermitian K-theory. Finally, we show how the author's chain complex defining dihedral homology can be extended to the left to capture the invariants of the involution on negative cyclic homology.Supported by New Mexico State University, grant No. RC90-051.     

Convex Hulls of f- and β-Vectors

In this paper we describe the convex hulls of the sets of f- and β-vectors of different classes of simplicial complexes on n vertices. These include flag complexes, order complexes of posets, matroid complexes, and general abstract simplicial complexes. As a result of this investigation, standard linear programming problems on these sets can be solved, including maximization of the Euler characteristics or of the sum of the Betti numbers. Received July 16, 1995, and in revised form May 1, 1996.     

Higher commutators in the loop space homology of K-products

We consider a problem of calculating the loop space homology for so-called polyhedral products defined by an arbitrary simplicial complex K. A presentation of this homology algebra is obtained from the homology of the complements of diagonal subspace arrangements, which, in turn, is calculated using an infinite resolution of the exterior Stanley-Reisner algebra. We get an explicit presentation of the loop homology algebra for polyhedral products for classes of simplicial complexes such as flag complexes and the duals of sequentially Cohen-Macaulay complexes in terms of higher commutator products. We give a construction for the iteration of higher products and discuss the relationship between this problem and problems in commutative algebra.     

Resolutions of letterplace ideals of posets

We investigate resolutions of letterplace ideals of posets. We develop topological results to compute their multigraded Betti numbers, and to give structural results on these Betti numbers. If the poset is a union of no more than c chains, we show that the Betti numbers may be computed from simplicial complexes of no more than c vertices. We also give a recursive procedure to compute the Betti diagrams when the Hasse diagram of P has tree structure.     

A classification of the face numbers of Buchsbaum simplicial posets

The family of Buchsbaum simplicial posets generalizes the family of simplicial cell manifolds. The \(h'\) -vector of a simplicial complex or simplicial poset encodes the combinatorial and topological data of its face numbers and the reduced Betti numbers of its geometric realization. Novik and Swartz showed that the \(h'\) -vector of a Buchsbaum simplicial poset satisfies certain simple inequalities; in this paper we show that these necessary conditions are in fact sufficient to characterize the \(h'\) -vectors of Buchsbaum simplicial posets with prescribed Betti numbers.