This paper surveys a comprehensive, although not exhaustive, sampling of graph polynomials with the goal of providing a brief overview of a variety of techniques defining a graph polynomial and then for decoding the combinatorial information it contains. The polynomials we discuss here are not generally specializations of the Tutte polynomial, but they are each in some way related to the Tutte polynomial, and often to one another. We emphasize these interrelations and explore how an understanding of one polynomial can guide research into others. We also discuss multivariable generalizations of some of these polynomials and the theory facilitated by this. We conclude with two examples, one from biology and one from physics, that illustrate the applicability of graph polynomials in other fields.
This is the second chapter of a two chapter series, and concludes Graph Polynomials and Their Applications I: The Tutte Polynomial, arXiv:0803.3079
We provide a unified framework in which the interlace polynomial and several related graph polynomials are defined more generally for multimatroids and delta-matroids. Using combinatorial properties of multimatroids rather than graph-theoretical arguments, we find that various known results about these polynomials, including their recursive relations, are both more efficiently and more generally obtained. In addition, we obtain several interrelationships and results for polynomials on multimatroids and delta-matroids that correspond to new interrelationships and results for the corresponding g…
Dalian University of Technology（大连理工大学）；Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology（大连理工大学数学科学学院）；LSEC, Inst. Comp. Math., Academy of Mathematics and System Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院数学与系统科学研究院计算数学研究所/科学计算与数值分析实验室）
A strongly polynomial sequence of graphs $(G_n)$ is a sequence $(G_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ of finite graphs such that, for every graph $F$, the number of homomorphisms from $F$ to $G_n$ is a fixed polynomial function of $n$ (depending on $F$). For example, $(K_n)$ is strongly polynomial since the number of homomorphisms from $F$ to $K_n$ is the chromatic polynomial of $F$ evaluated at $n$. In earlier work of de la Harpe and Jaeger, and more recently of Averbouch, Garijo, Godlin, Goodall, Makowsky, Nešetřil, Tittmann, Zilber and others, various examples of strongly polynomial sequences and constru…
The derangement polynomial $d_n (x)$ for the symmetric group enumerates derangements by the number of excedances. The derangement polynomial $d^B_n(x)$ for the hyperoctahedral group is a natural type $B$ analogue. A new combinatorial formula for this polynomial is given in this paper. This formula implies that $d^B_n (x)$ decomposes as a sum of two nonnegative, symmetric and unimodal polynomials whose centers of symmetry differ by a half and thus provides a new transparent proof of its unimodality. A geometric interpretation, analogous to Stanley's interpretation of $d_n (x)$ as the local $h$-…
Let G be a graph, and let $χ$G be its chromatic polynomial. For any non-negative integers i, j, we give an interpretation for the evaluation $χ$ (i) G (--j) in terms of acyclic orientations. This recovers the classical interpretations due to Stanley and to Green and Zaslavsky respectively in the cases i = 0 and j = 0. We also give symmetric function refinements of our interpretations, and some extensions. The proofs use heap theory in the spirit of a 1999 paper of Gessel.
We introduce a modular (integral) complementary polynomial $κ(G;x,y)$ ($κ_{\mathbbm z}(G;x,y)$) of two variables of a graph $G$ by counting the number of modular (integral) complementary tension-flows (CTF) of $G$ with an orientation $ε$. We study these polynomials by further introducing a cut-Eulerian equivalence relation on orientations and geometric structures such as the complementary open lattice polyhedron $Δ_\textsc{ctf}(G,ε)$, the complementary open 0-1 polytope $Δ^+_\textsc{ctf}(G,ε)$, and the complementary open lattice polytopes $Δ^ρ_\textsc{ctf}(G,ε)$ with respect to orientations $ρ…
We study the higher-order Euler polynomials and give the corresponding monic orthogonal polynomials, which are Meixner-Pollaczek polynomials with certain arguments and constant factors. Moreover, through a general connection between moments of random variables and the generalized Motzkin numbers, we can obtain a new recurrence formula and a matrix representation for the higher-order Euler polynomials, interpreting them as weighted lattice paths.
Some of the classical orthogonal polynomials such as Hermite, Laguerre, Charlier, etc. have been shown to be the generating polynomials for certain combinatorial objects. These combinatorial interpretations are used to prove new identities and generating functions involving these polynomials. In this paper we apply Foata's combinatorial interpretation of the Hermite polynomials as counting matchings of a set to obtain a triple lacunary generating function for the Hermite polynomials. We also give an umbral proof of this generating function.
The Gaussian polynomial in variable $q$ is defined as the $q$-analog of the binomial coefficient. In addition to remarkable implications of these polynomials to abstract algebra, matrix theory and quantum computing, there is also a combinatorial interpretation through weighted lattice paths. This interpretation is equivalent to weighted board tilings, which can be used to establish Gaussian polynomial identities. In particular, we prove duals of such identities and evaluate related sums.
We find an explicit combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of Kerov character polynomials which express the value of normalized irreducible characters of the symmetric groups S(n) in terms of free cumulants R_2,R_3,... of the corresponding Young diagram. Our interpretation is based on counting certain factorizations of a given permutation.
A sequence of coefficients appearing in a recurrence for the Narayana polynomials is generalized. The coefficients are given a probabilistic interpretation in terms of beta distributed random variables. The recurrence established by M. Lasalle is then obtained from a classical convolution identity. Some arithmetical properties of the generalized coefficients are also established.
Let s and t be variables. Define polynomials {n} in s, t by {0}=0, {1}=1, and {n}=s{n-1}+t{n-2} for n >= 2. If s, t are integers then the corresponding sequence of integers is called a Lucas sequence. Define an analogue of the binomial coefficients by C{n,k}={n}!/({k}!{n-k}!) where {n}!={1}{2}...{n}. It is easy to see that C{n,k} is a polynomial in s and t. The purpose of this note is to give two combinatorial interpretations for this polynomial in terms of statistics on integer partitions inside a k by n-k rectangle. When s=t=1 we obtain combinatorial interpretations of the fibonomial coeffic…
The coefficients of the local $h$-polynomial of the barycentric subdivision of the simplex with $n$ vertices are known to count derangements in the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$ by the number of excedances. A generalization of this interpretation is given for the local $h$-polynomial of the $r$th edgewise subdivision of the barycentric subdivision of the simplex. This polynomial is shown to be $γ$-nonnegative and a combinatorial interpretation to the corresponding $γ$-coefficients is provided. The new combinatorial interpretations involve the notions of flag excedance and descent in the wre…
We formulate several polynomial identities. One side of these identities has a nice simple form. Whereas the other has a form of a polynomial whose coefficients contain binomial coefficients double factorials or (and) rising factorials. The origins and the proofs of these identities are probabilistic. However, their form suggests universal applications in simplifying expressions. Many useful simplifying formulae are presented in the sequel.
Given an oriented graph G, the modular flow polynomial counts the number of nowhere-zero Z_k-flows of G. We give a description of the modular flow polynomial in terms of (open) Ehrhart polynomials of lattice polytopes. Using Ehrhart-Macdonald reciprocity we give a combinatorial interpretation for the values of the modular flow polynomial at negative arguments which answers a question of Beck and Zaslavsky (2006). Our construction extends to Z_l-tensions and we recover Stanley's reciprocity theorem for the chromatic polynomial. Combining the combinatorial reciprocity statements for flows and te…
We exhibit a connection between two statistics on set partitions, the intertwining number and the depth-index. In particular, results link the intertwining number to the algebraic geometry of Borel orbits. Furthermore, by studying the generating polynomials of our statistics, we determine the $q=-1$ specialization of a $q$-analogue of the Bell numbers. Finally, by using Renner's $H$-polynomial of an algebraic monoid, we introduce and study a $t$-analog of $q$-Stirling numbers.
Remixed Eulerian numbers are a polynomial $q$-deformation of Postnikov's mixed Eulerian numbers. They arose naturally in previous work by the authors concerning the permutahedral variety and subsume well-known families of polynomials such as $q$-binomial coefficients and Garsia--Remmel's $q$-hit numbers. We study their combinatorics in more depth. As polynomials in $q$, they are shown to be symmetric and unimodal. By interpreting them as computing success probabilities in a simple probabilistic process we arrive at a combinatorial interpretation involving weighted trees. By decomposing the per…
Stanley in his paper [Stanley, Richard P.: Acyclic orientations of graphs In: Discrete Mathematics 5 (1973), Nr. 2, S. 171-178.] provided interpretations of the chromatic polynomial when it is substituted with negative integers. Greene and Zaslavsky interpreted the coefficients of the chromatic polynomial in [Greene, Curtis ; Zaslavsky, Thomas: On the interpretation of Whitney numbers through arrangements of hyperplanes, zonotopes, non-Radon partitions, and orientations of graphs. In: Transactions of the American Mathematical Society 280 (1983), jan, Nr. 1, S. 97-97.]. We shall develop an invo…
Kerov's polynomials give irreducible character values in term of the free cumulants of the associated Young diagram. We prove in this article a positivity result on their coefficients, which extends a conjecture of S. Kerov. Our method, through decomposition of maps, gives a description of the coefficients of the k-th Kerov's polynomials using permutations in S(k). We also obtain explicit formulas or combinatorial interpretations for some coefficients. In particular, we are able to compute the subdominant term for character values on any fixed permutation (it was known for cycles).
We give a combinatorial interpretation of a Pieri formula for double Grothendieck polynomials in terms of an interval of the Bruhat order. Another description had been given by Lenart and Postnikov in terms of chain enumerations. We use Lascoux's interpretation of a product of Grothendieck polynomials as a product of two kinds of generators of the 0-Hecke algebra, or sorting operators. In this way we obtain a direct proof of the result of Lenart and Postnikov and then prove that the set of permutations occuring in the result is actually an interval of the Bruhat order.
We find new properties of the topological transition polynomial of embedded graphs, $Q(G)$. We use these properties to explain the striking similarities between certain evaluations of Bollobás and Riordan's ribbon graph polynomial, $R(G)$, and the topological Penrose polynomial, $P(G)$. The general framework provided by $Q(G)$ also leads to several other combinatorial interpretations these polynomials. In particular, we express $P(G)$, $R(G)$, and the Tutte polynomial, $T(G)$, as sums of chromatic polynomials of graphs derived from $G$; show that these polynomials count $k$-valuations of media…
Fomin and Zelevinsky show that a certain two-parameter family of rational recurrence relations, here called the (b,c) family, possesses the Laurentness property: for all b,c, each term of the (b,c) sequence can be expressed as a Laurent polynomial in the two initial terms. In the case where the positive integers b,c satisfy bc<4, the recurrence is related to the root systems of finite-dimensional rank 2 Lie algebras; when bc>4, the recurrence is related to Kac-Moody rank 2 Lie algebras of hyperbolic type. Here we investigate the borderline cases bc=4, corresponding to Kac-Moody Lie algebras of…
An identity of Chung, Graham and Knuth involving binomial coefficients and Eulerian numbers motivates our study of a class of polynomials that we call binomial-Eulerian polynomials. These polynomials share several properties with the Eulerian polynomials. For one thing, they are $h$-polynomials of simplicial polytopes, which gives a geometric interpretation of the fact that they are palindromic and unimodal. A formula of Foata and Schützenberger shows that the Eulerian polynomials have a stronger property, namely $γ$-positivity, and a formula of Postnikov, Reiner and Williams does the same for…
We provide a combinatorial interpretation of the reduced composition polynomials of Ardila and Doker [Adv. Appl. Math. 50 (2013), 607], and relate them to the $(1-q)$-transform of noncommutative symmetric functions.
Dumont and Foata introduced in 1976 a three-variable symmetric refinement of Genocchi numbers, which satisfies a simple recurrence relation. A six-variable generalization with many similar properties was later considered by Dumont. They generalize a lot of known integer sequences, and their ordinary generating function can be expanded as a Jacobi continued fraction. We give here a new combinatorial interpretation of the six-variable polynomials in terms of the alternative tableaux introduced by Viennot. A powerful tool to enumerate alternative tableaux is the so-called "matrix Ansatz", and usi…
Generalizing a sequence of Lambert, Cayley and Ramanujan, Chapoton has recently introduced a polynomial sequence Q_n:=Q_n(x,y,z,t) defined by Q_1=1, Q_{n+1}=[x+nz+(y+t)(n+y\partial_y)]Q_n. In this paper we prove Chapoton's conjecture on the duality formula: Q_n(x,y,z,t)=Q_n(x+nz+nt,y,-t,-z), and answer his question about the combinatorial interpretation of Q_n. Actually we give combinatorial interpretations of these polynomials in terms of plane trees, half-mobile trees, and forests of plane trees. Our approach also leads to a general formula that unifies several known results for enumerating …
We give a general multiplication-convolution identity for the multivariate and bivariate rank generating polynomial of a matroid. The bivariate rank generating polynomial is transformable to and from the Tutte polynomial by simple algebraic operations. Several identities, almost all already known in some form, are specializations of this identity. Combinatorial or probabilistic interpretations are given for the specialized identities.
By using some techniques of the divided difference operators, we establish an 4n-point interpolation formula. Certain polynomials, such as Jackson's _8ϕ_7 terminating summation formula, are special cases of this formula. Based on Krattenthaler's identity, we also give Jackson's formula a determinantal interpretation.
The two-parameter Macdonald polynomials are a central object of algebraic combinatorics and representation theory. We give a Markov chain on partitions of k with eigenfunctions the coefficients of the Macdonald polynomials when expanded in the power sum polynomials. The Markov chain has stationary distribution a new two-parameter family of measures on partitions, the inverse of the Macdonald weight (rescaled). The uniform distribution on permutations and the Ewens sampling formula are special cases. The Markov chain is a version of the auxiliary variables algorithm of statistical physics. Prop…
In this paper we present grammatical interpretations of the alternating Eulerian polynomials of types A and B. As applications, we derive several properties of the type B alternating Eulerian polynomials, including combinatorial expansions, recurrence relations and generating functions. We establish an interesting connection between alternating Eulerian polynomials of type B and left peak polynomials of permutations in the symmetric group, which implies that the type B alternating Eulerian polynomials have gamma-vectors alternate in sign.
We establish new properties of inhomogeneous spin $q$-Whittaker polynomials, which are symmetric polynomials generalizing $t=0$ Macdonald polynomials. We show that these polynomials are defined in terms of a vertex model, whose weights come not from an $R$-matrix, as is often the case, but from other intertwining operators of $U'_q(\hat{\mathfrak{sl}}_2)$-modules. Using this construction, we are able to prove a Cauchy-type identity for inhomogeneous spin $q$-Whittaker polynomials in full generality. Moreover, we are able to characterize spin $q$-Whittaker polynomials in terms of vanishing at c…
In 1991, David Gale and Raphael Robinson, building on explorations carried out by Michael Somos in the 1980s, introduced a three-parameter family of rational recurrence relations, each of which (with suitable initial conditions) appeared to give rise to a sequence of integers, even though a priori the recurrence might produce non-integral rational numbers. Throughout the '90s, proofs of integrality were known only for individual special cases. In the early '00s, Sergey Fomin and Andrei Zelevinsky proved Gale and Robinson's integrality conjecture. They actually proved much more, and in particul…
We recover the Tutte polynomial of a matroid, up to change of coordinates, from an Ehrhart-style polynomial counting lattice points in the Minkowski sum of its base polytope and scalings of simplices. Our polynomial has coefficients of alternating sign with a combinatorial interpretation closely tied to the Dawson partition. Our definition extends in a straightforward way to polymatroids, and in this setting our polynomial has Kálmán's internal and external activity polynomials as its univariate specialisations.
The Lucas sequence is a sequence of polynomials in s, and t defined recursively by {0}=0, {1}=1, and {n}=s{n-1}+t{n-2} for n >= 2. On specialization of s and t one can recover the Fibonacci numbers, the nonnegative integers, and the q-integers [n]_q. Given a quantity which is expressed in terms of products and quotients of nonnegative integers, one obtains a Lucas analogue by replacing each factor of n in the expression with {n}. It is then natural to ask if the resulting rational function is actually a polynomial in s and t with nonnegative integer coefficients and, if so, what it counts. The…
In 2017 Aguiar and Ardila provided a generic way to construct polynomial invariants of combinatorial objects using the notions of Hopf monoids and characters of Hopf monoids. They show that it is possible to find a combinatorial interpretation of these polynomials over negative integers using the antipode and give a cancellation-free grouping-free formula for the antipode on generalized permutahedra. In this work, we give a combinatorial interpretation of these polynomials over both positive integers and negative integers for the Hopf monoids of generalized permutahedra and hypergraphs and for…
Recently, Guo and Zeng discovered two families of polynomials featuring in a q-analogue of Faulhaber's formula for the sums of powers and a q-analogue of Gessel-Viennot's formula involving Salie's coefficients for the alternating sums of powers. In this paper, we show that these are polynomials with symmetric, nonnegative integral coefficients by refining Gessel-Viennot's combinatorial interpretations.
A positroid is the matroid of a real matrix with nonnegative maximal minors, a positroid variety is the closure of the locus of points in a complex Grassmannian whose matroid is a fixed positroid, and a positroid class is the cohomology class Poincaré dual to a positroid variety. We define a family of representations of general linear groups whose characters are symmetric polynomials representing positroid classes. These representations are certain diagram Schur modules in the sense of James and Peel. This gives a new algebraic interpretation of the Schubert structure constants for the product…
We consider projections of points onto fundamental chambers of finite real reflection groups. Our main result shows that for groups of type $A_n$, $B_n$, and $D_n$, the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of the reflection arrangement are proportional to the spherical volumes of the sets of points that are projected onto faces of a given dimension. We also provide strong evidence that the same connection holds for the exceptional, and thus all, reflection groups. These results naturally extend those of De Concini and Procesi, Stembridge, and Denham which establish the relationship fo…
We use character polynomials to obtain a positive combinatorial interpretation of the multiplicity of the sign representation in irreducible polynomial representations of $GL_n(\mathbb{C})$ indexed by two-column and hook partitions. Our method also yields a positive combinatorial interpretation for the multiplicity of the trivial representation of $S_n$ in an irreducible polynomial representation indexed by a hook partition.
We give a direct geometric interpretation of the path model using galleries in the $1-$skeleton of the Bruhat-Tits building associated to a semi-simple algebraic group. This interpretation allows us to compute the coefficients of the expansion of the Hall-Littlewood polynomials in the monomial basis. The formula we obtain is a "geometric compression" of the one proved by Schwer, its specialization to the case ${\tt A}_n$ turns out to be equivalent to Macdonald's formula.
We propose and prove a new polynomial identity that implies Schur's partition theorem. We give combinatorial interpretations of some of our expressions in the spirit of Kurşungöz. We also present some related polynomial and $q$-series identities.
We use a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of zonal Kerov polynomials as a number of unoriented maps to derive an explicit formula for the coefficients in genus one.
We construct an integrable colored five-vertex model whose partition function is a Lascoux atom based on the five-vertex model of Motegi and Sakai [arXiv:1305.3030] and the colored five-vertex model of Brubaker, the first author, Bump, and Gustafsson [arXiv:1902.01795]. We then modify this model in two different ways to construct a Lascoux polynomial, yielding the first known combinatorial interpretation of a Lascoux polynomial and atom. Using this, we prove a conjectured combinatorial interpretation in terms of set-valued tableaux of a Lascoux polynomial and atom due to Pechenik and the secon…
We propose a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficient of $q$ in Kazhdan- Lusztig polynomials and we prove it for finite simply-laced Weyl groups.
We introduce an arithmetic version of the multivariate Tutte polynomial, and (for representable arithmetic matroids) a quasi-polynomial that interpolates between the two. A generalized Fortuin-Kasteleyn representation with applications to arithmetic colorings and flows is obtained. We give a new and more general proof of the positivity of the coefficients of the arithmetic Tutte polynomial, and (in the representable case) a geometrical interpretation of them.
Motivated by a connection between the topology of (generalized) configuration spaces and chromatic polynomials, we show that generating functions of Hodge-Deligne polynomials of quasiprojective varieties and colorings of acyclic directed graphs with the complete graph $K_n$ as the underlying undirected graph. In order to do this, we combine an interpretation of Crew-Spirkl for plethysms involving chromatic symmetric polynomials using colorings of directed acyclic graphs to plethystic exponentials often appearing Hodge-Deligne polynomials of varieties. Applying this to a recent result of Floren…
