In this article, we will prove that the set of 4-dissimilarity vectors of n-trees is contained in the tropical Grassmannian G_{4,n}. We will also propose three equivalent conjectures related to the set of m-dissimilarity vectors of n-trees for the case m > 4. Using a computer algebra system, we can prove these conjectures for m = 5.
In tropical algebraic geometry, the solution sets of polynomial equations are piecewise-linear. We introduce the tropical variety of a polynomial ideal, and we identify it with a polyhedral subcomplex of the Grobner fan. The tropical Grassmannian arises in this manner from the ideal of quadratic Plucker relations. It is shown to parametrize all tropical linear spaces. Lines in tropical projective space are trees, and their tropical Grassmannian G_{2,n} equals the space of phylogenetic trees studied by Billera, Holmes and Vogtmann. Higher Grassmannians offer a natural generalization of the spac…
In this paper we study tropicalization of Grassmannian and linear varieties. In particular, we study the tropical linear spaces cor- responding to the phylogenetic trees. We prove that corresponding to each subtree of the phylogenetic tree there is a point on the tropical grassmannian. We deduce a necessary and sufficient condition for it to be on the facet of the tropical linear space.
In this short writing we prove that the set of m-dissimilarity vectors of n-trees is contained in the (m,n)-tropical Grassmannian, answering a question of Pachter and Speyer. We do this by proving a generalization of an equivalent conjecture proposed by Cools.
The Dressian and the tropical Grassmannian parameterize abstract and realizable tropical linear spaces; but in general, the Dressian is much larger than the tropical Grassmannian. There are natural positive notions of both of these spaces -- the positive Dressian, and the positive tropical Grassmannian (which we introduced roughly fifteen years ago) -- so it is natural to ask how these two positive spaces compare. In this paper we show that the positive Dressian equals the positive tropical Grassmannian. Using the connection between the positive Dressian and regular positroidal subdivisions of…
In this article, we present a massively parallel framework for computing tropicalizations of algebraic varieties which can make use of finite symmetries. We compute the tropical Grassmannian TGr$_0(3,8)$, and show that it refines the $15$-dimensional skeleton of the Dressian Dr$(3,8)$ with the exception of $23$ special cones for which we construct explicit obstructions to the realizability of their tropical linear spaces. Moreover, we propose algorithms for identifying maximal-dimensional tropical cones which belong to the positive tropicalization. These algorithms exploit symmetries of the tr…
The Dressian Dr(k,n) parametrizes all tropical linear spaces, and it carries a natural fan structure as a subfan of the secondaryfan of the hypersimplex Δ(k,n). We explore the combinatorics of the rays of Dr(k,n), that is, the most degenerate tropical planes, for arbitrary k and n. This is related to a new rigidity concept for configurations of n-k points in the tropical (k-1)-torus. Additional conditions are given for k=3. On the way, we compute the entire fan Dr(3,8).
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^+ G…
Tropical geometry and the theory of Newton-Okounkov bodies are two methods which produce toric degenerations of an irreducible complex projective variety. Kaveh-Manon showed that the two are related. We give geometric maps between the Newton-Okounkov bodies corresponding to two adjacent maximal-dimensional prime cones in the tropicalization of $X$. Under a technical condition, we produce a natural "algebraic wall-crossing" map on the underlying value semigroups (of the corresponding valuations). In the case of the tropical Grassmannian $Gr(2,m)$, we prove that the algebraic wall-crossing map i…
We show that the tropical projective Grassmannian of planes is homeomorphic to a closed subset of the analytic Grassmannian in Berkovich's sense by constructing a continuous section to the tropicalization map. Our main tool is an explicit description of the algebraic coordinate rings of the toric strata of the Grassmannian. We determine the fibers of the tropicalization map and compute the initial degenerations of all the toric strata. As a consequence, we prove that the tropical multiplicities of all points in the tropical projective Grassmannian are equal to one. Finally, we determine a piec…
We show that the number of combinatorial types of clusters of type $D_4$ modulo reflection-rotation is exactly equal to the number of combinatorial types of tropical planes in $\mathbb{TP}^5$. This follows from a result of Sturmfels and Speyer which classifies these tropical planes into seven combinatorial classes using a detailed study of the tropical Grassmannian $\operatorname{Gr}(3,6)$. Speyer and Williams show that the positive part $\operatorname{Gr}^+(3,6)$ of this tropical Grassmannian is combinatorially equivalent to a small coarsening of the cluster fan of type $D_4$. We provide a st…
We construct a family of compactifications of the affine cone of the Grassmannian variety of 2-planes. We show that both the tropical variety of the Plücker ideal and familiar valuations associated to the construction of Newton-Okounkov bodies for the Grassmannian variety can be recovered from these compactifications. In this way, we unite various perspectives for constructing toric degenerations of flag varieties.
In 2004 Pachter and Speyer introduced the higher dissimilarity maps for phylogenetic trees and asked two important questions about their relation to the tropical Grassmannian. Multiple authors, using independent methods, answered affirmatively the first of these questions, showing that dissimilarity vectors lie on the tropical Grassmannian, but the second question, whether the set of dissimilarity vectors forms a tropical subvariety, remained opened. We resolve this question by showing that the tropical balancing condition fails. However, by replacing the definition of the dissimilarity map wi…
We introduce iterated sequences for Grassmannians, a new class of Fang-Fourier-Littelmanns' birational sequences and explain how they give rise to points in $\text{trop}(\text{Gr}(k,\mathbb C^n))$, Speyer-Sturmfels' tropical Grassmannian. For $\text{Gr}(2,\mathbb C^n)$ we show that the associated valuations induce toric degenerations. We describe recursively the vertices of the corresponding Newton--Okounkov polytopes, which are particular vertices of a hypercube and hence integral. We show further that every toric degeneration of $\text{Gr}(2,\mathbb C^{n})$ constructed using the tropical Gra…
Mustafin varieties are flat degenerations of projective spaces, induced by a choice of an $n-$tuple of lattices in a vector space over a non-archimedean field. They were introduced by Mustafin in the 70s in order to generalise Mumford's groundbreaking work on the unformisation of curves to higher dimension. These varieties have a rich combinatorial structure as can be seen in pioneering work of Cartwright, Häbich, Sturmfels and Werner. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to Mustafin varieties in terms of images of rational maps, which were studied by Li. Applying tropical intersection t…
The tropical Grassmannian parameterizes tropicalizations of linear spaces, while the Dressian parameterizes all planes in $\TP^{n-1}$. We study these parameter spaces and we compute them explicitly for $n \leq 7$. Planes are identified with matroid subdivisions and with arrangements of trees. These representations are used to draw pictures.
We define a divisor theory for graphs and tropical curves endowed with a weight function on the vertices; we prove that the Riemann-Roch theorem holds in both cases. We extend Baker's Specialization Lemma to weighted graphs.
The study of the moment map from the Grassmannian to the hypersimplex, and the relation between torus orbits and matroid polytopes, dates back to the foundational 1987 work of Gelfand-Goresky-MacPherson-Serganova. On the other hand, the amplituhedron is a very new object, defined by Arkani-Hamed-Trnka in connection with scattering amplitudes in $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory. In this paper we discover a striking duality between the moment map $μ:Gr^{\geq0}_{k+1,n}\toΔ_{k+1,n}$ from the positive Grassmannian $Gr^{\geq0}_{k+1,n}$ to the hypersimplex, and the amplituhedron map $\tilde{Z}…
This paper provides an overview of recent progress on the interplay between tropical geometry and non-archimedean analytic geometry in the sense of Berkovich. After briefly discussing results by Baker, Payne and Rabinoff in the case of curves, we explain a result by Cueto, Häbich and the author comparing the tropical Grassmannian of planes to the analytic Grassmannian. We also give an overview of the general higher-dimensional theory developed by Gubler, Rabinoff and the author. In particular, we explain the construction of generalized skeleta in which are polyhedral substructures of Berkovich…
We study moduli spaces of rational weighted stable tropical curves, and their connections with the classical Hassett spaces. Given a vector w of weights, the moduli space of tropical w-stable curves can be given the structure of a balanced fan if and only if w has only heavy and light entries. In this case, we can express the moduli space as the Bergman fan of a graphic matroid. Furthermore, we realize the tropical moduli space as a geometric tropicalization, and as a Berkovich skeleton, of the classical moduli space. This builds on previous work of Tevelev, Gibney--Maclagan, and Abramovich--C…
We establish an explicit bijection between the toric degenerations of the Grassmannian $\textrm{Gr}(2,n)$ arising from maximal cones in tropical Grassmannians and the ones coming from plabic graphs corresponding to $\textrm{Gr}(2,n)$. We show that a similar statement does not hold for $\textrm{Gr}(3,6)$.
We study how changing the weight datum $\mathcal{A}=(a_1,...,a_n)\in(\mathbb{Q}\cap(0,1])^n$ affects the topology of tropical moduli spaces $M_{g,\mathcal{A}}^{trop}$, $\overline{M}_{g,\mathcal{A}}^{trop}$ and $Δ_{g,\mathcal{A}}$ and the homology of the latter one. We show that for fixed $g$ and $n$, there are particular filtrations of these topological spaces which we can use to compute the reduced rational homology of $Δ_{g,\mathcal{A}}$ and the top weight cohomology of the moduli space $\mathcal{M}_{g,\mathcal{A}}$ of smooth $(g,\mathcal{A})$-stable algebraic curves.
Given integers $g \geq 0$, $n \geq 1$, and a vector $w \in (\mathbb{Q} \cap (0, 1])^n$ such that ${2g - 2 + \sum w_i > 0}$, we study the topology of the moduli space $Δ_{g, w}$ of $w$-stable tropical curves of genus $g$ with volume 1. The space $Δ_{g, w}$ is the dual complex of the divisor of singular curves in Hassett's moduli space of $w$-stable genus $g$ curves $\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g, w}$. When $g \geq 1$, we show that $Δ_{g, w}$ is simply connected for all values of $w$. We also give a formula for the Euler characteristic of $Δ_{g, w}$ in terms of the combinatorics of $w$.
Tropicalization is a procedure that takes subvarieties of an algebraic torus to balanced weighted rational complexes in space. In this paper, we study the tropicalizations of curves in surfaces in 3-space. These are balanced rational weighted graphs in tropical surfaces. Specifically, we study the `lifting' problem: given a graph in a tropical surface, can one find a corresponding algebraic curve in a surface? We develop specific combinatorial obstructions to lifting a graph by reducing the problem to the question of whether or not one can factor a polynomial with particular support in the cha…
Hassett's moduli spaces of weighted stable curves form an important class of alternate modular compactifications of the moduli space of smooth curves with marked points. In this article we define a tropical analogue of these moduli spaces and show that the naive set-theoretic tropicalization map can be identified with a natural deformation retraction onto the non-Archimedean skeleton. This result generalizes work of Abramovich, Caporaso, and Payne treating the Deligne-Knudsen-Mumford compactification of the moduli space of smooth curves with marked points. We also study tropical analogues of t…
Many classes of projective algebraic varieties can be studied in terms of graded rings. Gorenstein graded rings in small codimension have been studied recently from an algebraic point of view, but the geometric meaning of the resulting structures is still relatively poorly understood. We discuss here the weighted projective analogs of homogeneous spaces such as the Grassmannian Gr(2,5) and orthogonal Grassmannian OGr(5,10) appearing in Mukai's linear section theorem for Fano 3-folds, and show how to use these as ambient spaces for weighted projective constructions. This is a first sketch of a …
Let X be a tropical curve (or metric graph), and fix a base point p on X. We define the Jacobian group J(G) of a finite weighted graph G, and show that the Jacobian J(X) is canonically isomorphic to the direct limit of J(G) over all weighted graph models G for X. This result is useful for reducing certain questions about the Abel-Jacobi map Phi_p : X -> J(X), defined by Mikhalkin and Zharkov, to purely combinatorial questions about weighted graphs. We prove that J(G) is finite if and only if the edges in each 2-connected component of G are commensurable over the rationals. As an application of…
In this paper, we consider weighted counts of tropical plane curves of particular combinatorial type through a certain number of generic points. We give a criterion, derived from tropical intersection theory on the secondary fan, for a weighted count to give a number invariant of the position of the points. By computing a certain intersection multiplicity, we show how Mikhalkin's approach to computing Gromov-Witten invariants fits into our approach. This begins to address a question raised by Dickenstein, Feichtner, and Sturmfels. We also give a geometric interpretation of the numbers we produ…
The moduli space $Δ_{g,w}$ of tropical $w$-weighted stable curves of volume $1$ is naturally identified with the dual complex of the divisor of singular curves in Hassett's spaces of $w$-weighted stable curves. If at least two of the weights are $1$, we prove that $Δ_{0,w}$ is homotopic to a wedge sum of spheres, possibly of varying dimensions. Under additional natural hypotheses on the weight vector, we establish explicit formulas for the Betti numbers of the spaces. We exhibit infinite families of weights for which the space $Δ_{0,w}$ is disconnected and for which the fundamental group of $Δ…
We introduce a decorated configuration space $\mathscr{C}\!{\rm onf}_n^\times(a)$ with a potential function $\mathcal{W}$. We prove the cluster duality conjecture of Fock-Goncharov for Grassmannians, that is, the tropicalization of $\big(\mathscr{C}\!{\rm onf}_n^\times(a), \mathcal{W}\big)$ canonically parametrizes a linear basis of the homogeneous coordinate ring of the Grassmannian $\operatorname{Gr}_a(n)$ with respect to the Plücker embedding. We prove that $\big(\mathscr{C}\!{\rm onf}_n^\times(a), \mathcal{W}\big)$ is equivalent to the mirror Landau-Ginzburg model of the Grassmannian consi…
We study algebraic, combinatorial and geometric aspects of weighted PBW-type degenerations of (partial) flag varieties in type $A$. These degenerations are labeled by degree functions lying in an explicitly defined polyhedral cone, which can be identified with a maximal cone in the tropical flag variety. Varying the degree function in the cone, we recover, for example, the classical flag variety, its abelian PBW degeneration, some of its linear degenerations and a particular toric degeneration.
We give a definition of tropical orbit spaces and their morphisms. We show that, under certain conditions, the weighted number of preimages of a point in the target of such a morphism does not depend on the choice of this point. We equip the moduli spaces of elliptic tropical curves with a structure of tropical orbit space and, using our results on tropical orbit spaces, simplify the known proof of the fact that the weighted number of plane elliptic tropical curves of degree d with fixed j-invariant which pass through 3d-1 points in general position in $\RR^2$ is independent of the choice of a…
Let T be a weighted tree with n numbered leaves and let D be its distance matrix, so D(i,j) is the distance between the leaves i and j. If m is an integer between 2 and n, we prove a tropical formula to compute the m-dissimilarity map of T (i.e. the weights of the subtrees of T with m leaves), given D. For m equal to 3, we present a tropical description of the set of m-dissimilarity maps of trees. For m equal to 4, a partial result is given.
In this paper, we study the T_w-equivariant cohomology of the weighted Grassmannians wGr(d,n) introduced by Corti-Reid where T_w is the n-dimensional torus that naturally acts on wGr(d,n). We introduce the equivariant weighted Schubert classes and, after we show that they form a basis of the equivariant cohomology, we give an explicit formula for the structure constants with respect to this Schubert basis. We also find a linearly independent subset {wu_1,...,wu_n} of Lie(T_w)^* such that those structure constants are polynomials in wu_i's with non-negative coefficients, up to a permutation on …
We present an algorithm for computing the Berkovich skeleton of a superelliptic curve $y^n=f(x)$ over a valued field. After defining superelliptic weighted metric graphs, we show that each one is realizable by an algebraic superelliptic curve when $n$ is prime. Lastly, we study the locus of superelliptic weighted metric graphs inside the moduli space of tropical curves of genus $g$.
We revisit the representation theory in type $A$used previously to establish that the dissimilarity vectors of phylogenetic trees are points on the tropical Grassmannian variety. We use a different version of this construction to show that the space of phylogenetic trees $K_n$ maps to the tropical varieties of every flag variety of $GL_n(\C).$ Using this map, we interpret the tropicalization of the semistandard tableaux basis of an irreducible representation of $GL_n(\C)$ as combinatorial invariants of phylogenetic trees.
In this thesis we study toric degenerations of projective varieties. We compare different constructions to understand how and why they are related as s first step towards developing a global framework. In focus are toric degenerations obtained from representation theory, tropical geometry and cluster algebras. Often those rely on valuations and the theory of Newton-Okounkov bodies. Toric degenerations can be seen as a combinatorial shadow of the original objects. The goal is therefore to understand why the different theories are so closely related, by understanding the toric degenerations they…
Working over various graded Lie algebras and in arbitrary dimension, we express scattering diagrams and theta functions in terms of counts of tropical curves/disks, weighted by multiplicities given in terms of iterated Lie brackets. Over the tropical vertex group, our tropical curve counts are known to give certain descendant log Gromov-Witten invariants. Working over the quantum torus algebra yields theta functions for quantum cluster varieties, and our tropical description sets up for geometric interpretations of these. As an immediate application, we prove the quantum Frobenius conjecture o…
We resolve a conjecture about a class of binomial initial ideals of $I_{2,n}$, the ideal of the Grassmannian, Gr$(2,\mathbb{C}^n$), which are associated to phylogenetic trees. For a weight vector $ω$ in the tropical Grassmannian, $in_ω(I_{2,n}) = J_\mathcal{T}$ is the ideal associated to the tree $\mathcal{T}$. The ideal generated by the $2r \times 2r$ subpfaffians of a generic $n \times n$ skew-symmetric matrix is precisely $I_{2,n}^{\{r-1\}}$, the $(r-1)$-secant of $I_{2,n}$. We prove necessary and sufficient conditions on the topology of $\mathcal{T}$ in order for $in_ω(I_{2,n})^{\{2\}} = J…
We prove that the open Gromov-Witten invariants on K3 surfaces satisfy the Kontsevich-Soibelman wall-crossing formula. One one hand, this gives a geometric interpretation of the slab functions in Gross-Siebert program. On the other hands, the open Gromov-Witten invariants coincide with the weighted counting of tropical discs. This is an analog of the corresponding theorem on toric varieties \cite{M2}\cite{NS} but on compact Calabi-Yau surfaces.
We present a new tool for the calculation of Denef and Loeser's motivic nearby fiber and motivic Milnor fiber: a motivic Fubini theorem for the tropicalization map, based on Hrushovski and Kazhdan's theory of motivic volumes of semi-algebraic sets. As applications, we prove a conjecture of Davison and Meinhardt on motivic nearby fibers of weighted homogeneous polynomials, and give a very short and conceptual new proof of the integral identity conjecture of Kontsevich and Soibelman, first proved by Lê Quy Thuong. Both of these conjectures emerged in the context of motivic Donaldson-Thomas theor…
Let $Γ$ be a compact tropical curve (or metric graph) of genus $g$. Using the theory of tropical theta functions, Mikhalkin and Zharkov proved that there is a canonical effective representative (called a break divisor) for each linear equivalence class of divisors of degree $g$ on $Γ$. We present a new combinatorial proof of the fact that there is a unique break divisor in each equivalence class, establishing in the process an "integral" version of this result which is of independent interest. As an application, we provide a "geometric proof" of (a dual version of) Kirchhoff's celebrated Matri…
We compute the Chow ring of an arbitrary heavy/light Hassett space $\bar{M}_{0, w}$. These spaces are moduli spaces of weighted pointed stable rational curves, where the associated weight vector $w$ consists of only heavy and light weights. Work of Cavalieri et al. exhibits these spaces as tropical compactifications of hyperplane arrangement complements. The computation of the Chow ring then reduces to intersection theory on the toric variety of the Bergman fan of a graphic matroid. Keel has calculated the Chow ring $A^*(\bar{M}_{0, n})$ of the moduli space $\bar{M}_{0, n}$ of stable nodal $n$…
We propose a generalization of tropical curves by dropping the rationality and integrality requirements while preserving the balancing condition. An interpretation of such curves as critical points of a certain quadratic functional allows us to settle the existence and uniqueness problem. The machinery of dual polygons and the intersection theory also generalize as expected. We study the homology of a compactified moduli space of rigid oriented marked curves. A weighted count of rational pseudotropical curves passing through a generic collection of points is interpreted via top-degree cycles o…
We study Quot schemes of vector bundles on algebraic curves. Marian and Oprea gave a description of a topological quantum field theory (TQFT) studied by Witten in terms of intersection numbers on Quot schemes of trivial bundles. Since these Quot schemes can have the wrong dimension, virtual classes are required. But Quot schemes of general vector bundles always have the right dimension. Using the degree of the general vector bundle as an additional parameter, we construct a weighted TQFT containing both Witten's TQFT and the small quantum cohomology TQFT of the Grassmannian. This weighted TQFT…
Suppose that there exists a hypersurface with the Newton polytope $Δ$, which passes through a given set of subvarieties. Using tropical geometry, we associate a subset of $Δ$ to each of these subvarieties. We prove that a weighted sum of the volumes of these subsets estimates the volume of $Δ$ from below. As a particular application of our method we consider a planar algebraic curve $C$ which passes through generic points $p_1,\dots,p_n$ with prescribed multiplicities $m_1,\dots,m_n$. Suppose that the minimal lattice width $ω(Δ)$ of the Newton polygon $Δ$ of the curve $C$ is at least $\max(m_i…