A Penrose polynomial for embedded graphs

We extend the Penrose polynomial, originally defined only for plane graphs, to graphs embedded in arbitrary surfaces. Considering this Penrose polynomial of embedded graphs leads to new identities and relations for the Penrose polynomial which can not be realized within the class of plane graphs. In particular, by exploiting connections with the transition polynomial and the ribbon group action, we find a deletion-contraction-type relation for the Penrose polynomial. We relate the Penrose polynomial of an orientable checkerboard colourable graph to the circuit partition polynomial of its medial graph and use this to find new combinatorial interpretations of the Penrose polynomial. We also show that the Penrose polynomial of a plane graph G can be expressed as a sum of chromatic polynomials of twisted duals of G. This allows us to obtain a new reformulation of the Four Colour Theorem

Evaluations of topological Tutte polynomials

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 Bollob\'as 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 medial graphs; show that $R(G)$ counts edge 3-colourings; and reformulate the Four Colour Theorem in terms of $R(G)$. We conclude with a reduction formula for the transition polynomial of the tensor product of two embedded graphs, showing that it leads to additional relations among these polynomials and to further combinatorial interpretations of $P(G)$ and $R(G)$.Comment: V2: major revision, several new results, and improved expositio

On the interplay between embedded graphs and delta-matroids

The mutually enriching relationship between graphs and matroids has motivated discoveries in both fields. In this paper, we exploit the similar relationship between embedded graphs and delta-matroids. There are well-known connections between geometric duals of plane graphs and duals of matroids. We obtain analogous connections for various types of duality in the literature for graphs in surfaces of higher genus and delta-matroids. Using this interplay, we establish a rough structure theorem for delta-matroids that are twists of matroids, we translate Petrie duality on ribbon graphs to loop complementation on delta-matroids, and we prove that ribbon graph polynomials, such as the Penrose polynomial, the characteristic polynomial, and the transition polynomial, are in fact delta-matroidal. We also express the Penrose polynomial as a sum of characteristic polynomials

Hopf algebras and Tutte polynomials

By considering Tutte polynomials of Hopf algebras, we show how a Tutte polynomial can be canonically associated with combinatorial objects that have some notions of deletion and contraction. We show that several graph polynomials from the literature arise from this framework. These polynomials include the classical Tutte polynomial of graphs and matroids, Las Vergnas' Tutte polynomial of the morphism of matroids and his Tutte polynomial for embedded graphs, Bollobas and Riordan's ribbon graph polynomial, the Krushkal polynomial, and the Penrose polynomial. We show that our Tutte polynomials of Hopf algebras share common properties with the classical Tutte polynomial, including deletion-contraction definitions, universality properties, convolution formulas, and duality relations. New results for graph polynomials from the literature are then obtained as examples of the general results. Our results offer a framework for the study of the Tutte polynomial and its analogues in other settings, offering the means to determine the properties and connections between a wide class of polynomial invariants.Comment: v2: change of title and some reorderin

Structure of the flow and Yamada polynomials of cubic graphs

We establish a quadratic identity for the Yamada polynomial of ribbon cubic graphs in 3-space, extending the Tutte golden identity for planar cubic graphs. An application is given to the structure of the flow polynomial of cubic graphs at zero. The golden identity for the flow polynomial is conjectured to characterize planarity of cubic graphs, and we prove this conjecture for a certain infinite family of non-planar graphs. Further, we establish exponential growth of the number of chromatic polynomials of planar triangulations, answering a question of D. Treumann and E. Zaslow. The structure underlying these results is the chromatic algebra, and more generally the SO(3) topological quantum field theory.Comment: 22 page