A simplicial complex is a set equipped with a down-closed family of distinguished finite subsets. This structure, usually viewed as codifying a triangulated space, is used here directly, to describe "spaces" whose geometric realisation can be misleading. An intrinsic homotopy theory, not based on such realisation but agreeing with it, is introduced.
The applications developed here are aimed at image analysis in metric spaces and have connections with digital topology and mathematical morphology. A metric space X has a structure of simplicial complex at each (positive) resolution e; the resulting n-homotopy group detects those singularities which can be captured by an n-dimensional grid, with edges bound by e; this works equally well for continuous or discrete regions of euclidean spaces. Its computation is based on direct, intrinsic methods.
We generalize some homotopy calculation techniques such as splittings and matching trees that are introduced for the computations in the case of the independence complexes of graphs to arbitrary simplicial complexes, and exemplify their efficiency on some simplicial complexes, the devoid complexes of graphs, which are simplicial complexes parametrized by graphs. Additionally, we compute the homotopy type of dominance complexes of chordal graphs.
In this paper we construct a cofibrantly generated model category structure on the category of all small symmetric multicategories enriched in simplicial sets.
We show that the category of presheaves of simplicial groupoids on a site $\mathcal{C}$ is a right proper simplicial model category. We define $G$-torsor of presheaf of 2-groupoids $G$, presheaf of simplicial groups $G$ and presheaf of simplicial groupoids $G$ on a site $\mathcal{C}$ and classify $G$-torsors by the homotopy classes $[\ast, \bar{W}G]$.
We show that homotopy pullbacks of sheaves of simplicial sets over a Grothendieck topology distribute over homotopy colimits; this generalizes a result of Puppe about topological spaces. In addition, we show that inverse image functors between categories of simplicial sheaves preserve homotopy pullback squares. The method we use introduces the notion of a sharp map, which is analogous to the notion of a quasi-fibration of spaces, and seems to be of independent interest.
Given any model category, or more generally any category with weak equivalences, its simplicial localization is a simplicial category which can rightfully be called the "homotopy theory" of the model category. There is a model category structure on the category of simplicial categories, so taking its simplicial localization yields a "homotopy theory of homotopy theories." In this paper we show that there are two different categories of diagrams of simplicial sets, each equipped with an appropriate definition of weak equivalence, such that the resulting homotopy theories are each equivalent to …
The singular simplicial set Sing(X) of a space X completely captures its weak homotopy type. We introduce a category of_controlled sets_, yielding _simplicial controlled sets_, such that one can functorially produce a singular simplicial controlled set CSing(MaxCtl(X)) from a locally compact X. We then argue that this CSing(MaxCtl(X)) captures the (weak)_proper_ homotopy type of X. Moreover, our techniques strictly generalize the classical simplicial situation: e.g., one obtains, in a unified way, singular homology with compact supports and (Borel-Moore) singular homology with locally finite s…
We address the (pointed) homotopy of crossed module morphisms in modified categories of interest; which generalizes the groups and various algebraic structures. We prove that, the homotopy relation gives rise to an equivalence relation; furthermore a groupoid structure, without any restriction on neither domain nor co-domain of the crossed module morphism. Additionally, we consider the particular cases such as associative algebras, Leibniz algebras, Lie algebras and dialgebras of crossed modules of this generalized homotopy definition. Then as the main part of the paper, we prove that the func…
We show that any closed model category of simplicial algebras over an algebraic theory is Quillen equivalent to a proper closed model category. By ``simplicial algebra'' we mean any category of algebras over a simplicial algebraic theory, which is allowed to be multi-sorted. The results have applications to the construction of localization model category structures.
In this paper three results are established: firstly, that the homotopy function complexes of Dwyer and Kan can be defined as certain total right derived functors; secondly, that they functorially compute the homotopy type of the hom-spaces in the simplicial localisation; and thirdly, that they can be computed by fibrant replacements in a suitable left Bousfield localisation of the projective model structure on simplicial presheaves.
The category of simplicial R-coalgebras over a presheaf of commutative unital rings on a small Grothendieck site is endowed with a left proper, simplicial, cofibrantly generated model category structure where the weak equivalences are the local weak equivalences of the underlying simplicial presheaves. This model category is naturally linked to the R-local homotopy theory of simplicial presheaves and the homotopy theory of simplicial R-modules by Quillen adjunctions. We study the comparison with the R-local homotopy category of simplicial presheaves in the special case where R is a presheaf of…
For a simplicial complex K on m vertices and simplicial complexes K1,...,Km a composed simplicial complex K(K1,...,Km) is introduced. This construction generalizes an iterated simplicial wedge construction studied by A. Bahri, M. Bendersky, F. R. Cohen and S. Gitler and allows to describe the combinatorics of generalized joins of polytopes P(P1,...,Pm) defined by G. Agnarsson. The composition defines a structure of an operad on a set of finite simplicial complexes. We prove the following: (1) a composed complex K(K1,...,Km) is a simplicial sphere iff K is a simplicial sphere and Ki are the bou…
We show that coloring properties of a simplicial complex K are reflected by splitting properties of a bundle over the associated Davis-Januszkiewicz space whose Chern classes are given by the elementary symmetric polynomials in the generators of the Stanley-Reisner algebra of K.
We define two different simplicial complexes, the common divisor simplicial complex and the prime divisor simplicial complex, from a set of integers, and explore their similarities. We will define a map between the two simplicial complexes, and use this map to show that for any set of integers, the fundamental groups of the resulting simplicial complexes are isomorphic.
It is shown that the category of presheaves of simplicial groupoids and the category of presheaves of 2-groupoids have Quillen closed model structures. Furthermore, their homotopy categories are equivalent to the homotopy categories of simplicial presheaves and homotopy 2-types, respectively.
The paper surveys recent progress in understanding geometric, topological and combinatorial properties of large simplicial complexes, focusing mainly on ampleness, connectivity and universality. In the first part of the paper we concentrate on $r$-ample simplicial complexes which are high dimensional analogues of the $r$-e.c. graphs introduced originally by Erd\H os and Réniy. The class of $r$-ample complexes is useful for applications since these complexes allow extensions of subcomplexes of certain type in all possible ways; besides, $r$-ample complexes exhibit remarkable robustness properti…
In this paper we develop further the multi-parameter model of random simplicial complexes. Firstly, we give an intrinsic characterisation of the multi-parameter probability measure. Secondly, we show that in multi-parameter random simplicial complexes the links of simplexes and their intersections are also multi-parameter random simplicial complexes. Thirdly, we find conditions under which a multi-parameter random simplicial complex is connected and simply connected.
Golodness of 2-dimensional simplicial complexes is studied through polyhedral products, and combinatorial and topoogical characterization of Golodness of surface triangulations is given. An answer to the question of Berglund is also given so that there is a 2-dimensional simplicial complex which is rationally Golod but is not Golod over $\mathbb{Z}/p$.
In this paper we introduce a new model of random simplicial complexes depending on multiple probability parameters. This model includes the well-known Linial - Meshulam random simplicial complexes and random clique complexes as special cases. Topological and geometric properties of a multi-parameter random simplicial complex depend on the whole combination of the probability parameters and the thresholds for topological properties are convex sets rather than numbers (as in all previously known models). We discuss the containment properties, density domains and dimension of the random simplicia…
We develop a theory of limits for sequences of dense abstract simplicial complexes, where a sequence is considered convergent if its homomorphism densities converge. The limiting objects are represented by stacks of measurable [0,1]-valued functions on unit cubes of increasing dimension, each corresponding to a dimension of the abstract simplicial complex. We show that convergence in homomorphism density implies convergence in a cut-metric, and vice versa, as well as showing that simplicial complexes sampled from the limit objects closely resemble its structure. Applying this framework, we als…
We construct models for the motivic homotopy category based on simplicial functors from smooth schemes over a field to simplicial sets. These spaces are homotopy invariant and therefore one does not have to invert the affine line in order to get a model for the motivic homotopy category.
For $n \in \mathbb{N}$, let $h(n)$ denote the number of simplicial complexes on $n$ vertices up to homotopy equivalence. Here we prove that $h(n) \geq 2^{2^{0.02n}}$ when $n$ is large enough. Together with the trivial upper bound of $2^{2^n}$ on the number of labeled simplicial complexes on $n$ vertices this proves a conjecture of Kalai that $h(n)$ is doubly exponential in $n$.
We consider a multi-parameter model for randomly constructing simplicial complexes. This model interpolates between random clique complexes and Linial-Meshulam random $k$-dimensional complexes, two models that have been extensively studied. While these models asymptotically exhibit nontrivial cohomology in only one or two dimensions, we show that in this generalized setting nontrivial cohomology can occur in several dimensions simultaneously. We establish upper and lower thresholds for the appearance of nontrivial cohomology in a particular dimension, and in some instances characterize the beh…
There have been several recent articles studying homology of various types of random simplicial complexes. Several theorems have concerned thresholds for vanishing of homology, and in some cases expectations of the Betti numbers. However little seems known so far about limiting distributions of random Betti numbers. In this article we establish Poisson and normal approximation theorems for Betti numbers of different kinds of random simplicial complex: Erdős-Rényi random clique complexes, random Vietoris-Rips complexes, and random Čech complexes. These results may be of practical interest in to…
In 1983 Kalai proved an incredible generalisation of Cayley's formula for the number of trees on a labelled vertex set to a formula for a class of $r$-dimensional simplicial complexes. These simplicial complexes generalise trees by means of being homologically $\Bbb Q$-acyclic. In this text we consider a different generalisation of trees to the class of pure dimensional simplicial complexes that \textit{minimally connect a vertex set} (in the sense that the removal of any top dimensional face disconnects the complex). Our main result provides an upper and lower bound for the number of these mi…
This expository article is based on a lecture from the Stanford Symposium on Algebraic Topology: Application and New Directions, held in honor of Gunnar Carlsson, Ralph Cohen, and Ib Madsen.
We provide a random simplicial complex by applying standard constructions to a Poisson point process in Euclidean space. It is gigantic in the sense that - up to homotopy equivalence - it almost surely contains infinitely many copies of every compact topological manifold, both in isolation and in percolation.
Given a simplicial group G, there are two known classifying simplicial set constructions, the Kan classifying simplicial set Wbar G and Diag N G, where N denotes the dimensionwise nerve. They are known to be weakly homotopy equivalent. We will show that Wbar G is a strong simplicial deformation retract of Diag N G. In particular, Wbar G and Diag N G are simplicially homotopy equivalent.
The Linial-Meshulam complex model is a natural higher-dimensional analog of the Erdős-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 paper 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…
Quillen showed that simplicial sets form a model category (with appropriate choices of three classes of morphisms), which organized the homotopy theory of simplicial sets. His proof is very difficult and uses even the classification theory of principal bundles. Thus, Goerss-Jardine appealed to topological methods for the verification. In this paper we give a new proof of this organizing theorem of simplicial homotopy theory which is elementary in the sense that it does not use the classifying theory of principal bundles or appeal to topological methods.
We define a variant of Benjamini-Schramm convergence for finite simplicial complexes with the action of a fixed finite group G which leads to the notion of random rooted simplicial G-complexes. For every random rooted simplicial G-complex we define a corresponding $\ell^2$-homology and the $\ell^2$-multiplicity of an irreducible representation of G in the homology. The $\ell^2$-multiplicities generalize the $\ell^2$-Betti numbers and we show that they are continuous on the space of sofic random rooted simplicial G-complexes. In addition, we study induction of random rooted complexes and discus…
Let $ρ:(D^2)^m\to I^m$ be the orbit map for the diagonal action of the torus $T^m$ on the unit poly-disk $(D^2)^m$, $I^m=[0,1]^m$ is the unit cube. Let $C$ be a cubical subcomplex in $I^m$. The moment-angle complex $\ma(C)$ is a $T^m$-invariant bigraded cellular decomposition of the subset $ρ^{-1}(C)\subset(D^2)^m$ with cells corresponding to the faces of $C$. Different combinatorial problems concerning cubical complexes and related combinatorial objects can be treated by studying the equivariant topology of corresponding moment-angle complexes. Here we consider moment-angle complexes defined …
Buchstaber invariant is a numerical characteristic of a simplicial complex, arising from torus actions on moment-angle complexes. In the paper we study the relation between Buchstaber invariants and classical invariants of simplicial complexes such as bigraded Betti numbers and chromatic invariants. The following two statements are proved. (1) There exists a simplicial complex U with different real and ordinary Buchstaber invariants. (2) There exist two simplicial complexes with equal bigraded Betti numbers and chromatic numbers, but different Buchstaber invariants. To prove the first theorem …
It is shown that the Mayer-Vietoris sequence holds for the cohomology of complexes of Lie algebroids which are defined on simplicial complexes and satisfy the compatibility condition concerning restrictions to the faces of each simplex. The Mayer-Vietoris sequence will be obtained as a consequence of the extension lemma for piecewise smooth forms defined on complexes of Lie algebroids.
A careful account is given of generalized equivariant homology theories on the category of topological pairs acted on by a group. In particular, upon restriction to the category of equivariant simplicial complexes, the equivalence of equivariant simplicial homology (also known as Bredon homology), the second derived term of the Atiyah--Hirzebruch spectral sequence, and equivariant singular homology is demonstrated.
In this article we consider the homotopy theory of stratified spaces through a simplicial point of view. We first consider a model category of filtered simplicial sets over some fixed poset $P$, and show that it is a simplicial combinatorial model category. We then define a generalization of the homotopy groups for any fibrant filtered simplicial set $X$ : the filtered homotopy groups $sπ_n(X)$. They are diagrams of groups built from the homotopy groups of the different pieces of $X$. We then show that the weak equivalences are exactly the morphisms that induce isomorphisms on those filtered h…
Motivated by applications in Topological Data Analysis, we consider decompositions of a simplicial complex induced by a cover of its vertices. We study how the homotopy type of such decompositions approximates the homotopy of the simplicial complex itself. The difference between the simplicial complex and such an approximation is quantitatively measured by means of the so called obstruction complexes. Our general machinery is then specialized to clique complexes, Vietoris-Rips complexes and Vietoris-Rips complexes of metric gluings. For the latter we give metric conditions which allow to recov…
Let $G$ be a finite simple graph. The line graph $L(G)$ represents the adjacencies between edges of $G$. We define first the line simplicial complex $Δ_L(G)$ of $G$ containing Gallai and anti-Gallai simplicial complexes $Δ_Γ(G)$ and $Δ_{Γ'}(G)$ (respectively) as spanning subcomplexes. The study of connectedness of simplicial complexes is interesting due to various combinatorial and topological aspects. In Theorem 3.3, we prove that the line simplicial complex $Δ_L(G)$ is connected if and only if $G$ is connected. In Theorem 3.4, we establish the relation between Euler characteristics of line a…
We prove that a weak equivalence between two cofibrant (colored) props in chain complexes induces a Dwyer-Kan equivalence between the simplicial localizations of the associated categories of algebras. This homotopy invariance under base change implies that the homotopy category of homotopy algebras over a prop P does not depend on the choice of a cofibrant resolution of P, and gives thus a coherence to the notion of algebra up to homotopy in this setting. The result is established more generally for algebras in combinatorial monoidal dg categories.
In this paper, we prove that the fundamental group of a simplicial complex is isomorphic to the algebraic fundamental group of its incidence algebra, and we derive some applications.
In this paper, we define and prove basic properties of complement polyhedral product spaces, dual complexes and polyhedral product complexes. Then we compute the universal algebra of polyhedral product complexes under certain split conditions and the Alexander duality isomorphism on certain polyhedral product spaces.
We first develop a general framework for Laplace operators defined in terms of the combinatorial structure of a simplicial complex. This includes, among others, the graph Laplacian, the combinatorial Laplacian on simplicial complexes, the weighted Laplacian, and the normalized graph Laplacian. This framework then allows us to define the normalized Laplace operator $Δ_{i}^{up}$ on simplicial complexes which we then systematically investigate. We study the effects of a wedge sum, a join and a duplication of a motif on the spectrum of the normalized Laplace operator, and identify some of the comb…
In this paper we study the notion of critical dimension of random simplicial complexes in the general multi-parameter model described in our previous papers of this series. This model includes as special cases the Linial-Meshulam-Wallach model as well as the clique complexes of random graphs. We characterise the concept of critical dimension in terms of various geometric and topological properties of random simplicial complexes such as their Betti numbers, the fundamental group, the size of minimal cycles and the degrees of simplexes. We mention in the text a few interesting open questions.
This paper is a continuation of our previous work in which we defined the notion of a polytope complex and its $K$-theory. In this paper we produce formulas for the delooping of a simplicial polytope complex and the cofiber of a morphism of simplicial polytope complexes. Along the way we also prove that the (classical and higher) scissors congruence groups of polytopes in a homogeneous $n$-manifold (with sufficient geometric data) are determined by its local properties.
We introduce a new invariant defined on the vertices of a given filtered simplicial complex, called codensity, which controls the impact of removing vertices on persistent homology. We achieve this control through the use of an interleaving type of distance between fitered simplicial complexes. We study the special case of Vietoris-Rips filtrations and show that our bounds offer a significant improvement over the immediate bounds coming from considerations related to the Gromov-Hausdorff distance. Based on these ideas we give an iterative method for the practical simplification of filtered sim…
The purpose of this note is to point out that simplicial methods and the well-known Dold-Kan construction in simplicial homotopy theory can be fruitfully applied to convert link homology theories into homotopy theories. Dold and Kan prove that there is a functor from the category of chain complexes over a commutative ring with unit to the category of simplicial objects over that ring such that chain homotopic maps go to homotopic maps in the simplicial category. Furthermore, this is an equivalence of categories. In this way, given a link homology theory, we construct a mapping taking link diag…
We define a simplicial enrichment on the category of differential graded Hopf cooperads (the category of dg Hopf cooperads for short). We prove that our simplicial enrichment satisfies, in part, the axioms of a simplicial model category structure on the category of dg Hopf cooperads. We use this simplicial model structure to define a model of mapping spaces in the category of dg Hopf cooperads and to upgrade results of the literature about the homotopy automorphism spaces of dg Hopf cooperads by dealing with simplicial monoid structures. The rational homotopy theory of operads implies that the…
