On a curious variant of the SnS_n-module LienLie_n

We introduce a variant of the much-studied $Lie$ representation of the symmetric group $S_n$, which we denote by $Lie_n^{(2)}.$ Our variant gives rise to a decomposition of the regular representation as a sum of {exterior} powers of modules $Lie_n^{(2)}.$ This is in contrast to the theorems of Poincar\'e-Birkhoff-Witt and Thrall which decompose the regular representation into a sum of symmetrised $Lie$ modules. We show that nearly every known property of $Lie_n$ has a counterpart for the module $Lie_n^{(2)},$ suggesting connections to the cohomology of configuration spaces via the character formulas of Sundaram and Welker, to the Eulerian idempotents of Gerstenhaber and Schack, and to the Hodge decomposition of the complex of injective words arising from Hochschild homology, due to Hanlon and Hersh.Comment: 26 pages, 2 tables. To appear in Algebraic Combinatorics. Parts of this paper are included in arXiv:1803.0936

Geometrically constructed bases for homology of partition lattices of types A, B and D

We use the theory of hyperplane arrangements to construct natural bases for the homology of partition lattices of types A, B and D. This extends and explains the "splitting basis" for the homology of the partition lattice given in [Wa96], thus answering a question asked by R. Stanley. More explicitly, the following general technique is presented and utilized. Let A be a central and essential hyperplane arrangement in R^d. Let R_1,...,R_k be the bounded regions of a generic hyperplane section of A. We show that there are induced polytopal cycles \rho_{R_i} in the homology of the proper part \bar{L_A} of the intersection lattice such that {\rho_{R_i}}_{i=1,...,k} is a basis for \tilde H_{d-2}(\bar{L_A}). This geometric method for constructing combinatorial homology bases is applied to the Coxeter arrangements of types A, B and D, and to some interpolating arrangements.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figure

Complexes of not ii-connected graphs

Complexes of (not) connected graphs, hypergraphs and their homology appear in the construction of knot invariants given by V. Vassiliev. In this paper we study the complexes of not $i$-connected $k$-hypergraphs on $n$ vertices. We show that the complex of not $2$-connected graphs has the homotopy type of a wedge of $(n-2)!$ spheres of dimension $2n-5$. This answers one of the questions raised by Vassiliev in connection with knot invariants. For this case the $S_n$-action on the homology of the complex is also determined. For complexes of not $2$-connected $k$-hypergraphs we provide a formula for the generating function of the Euler characteristic, and we introduce certain lattices of graphs that encode their topology. We also present partial results for some other cases. In particular, we show that the complex of not $(n-2)$-connected graphs is Alexander dual to the complex of partial matchings of the complete graph. For not $(n-3)$-connected graphs we provide a formula for the generating function of the Euler characteristic

Partition complexes, duality and integral tree representations

We show that the poset of non-trivial partitions of 1,2,...,n has a fundamental homology class with coefficients in a Lie superalgebra. Homological duality then rapidly yields a range of known results concerning the integral representations of the symmetric groups S_n and S_{n+1} on the homology and cohomology of this partially-ordered set.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol4/agt-4-41.abs.htm