Graph products of spheres, associative graded algebras and Hilbert series

Given a finite, simple, vertex-weighted graph, we construct a graded associative (non-commutative) algebra, whose generators correspond to vertices and whose ideal of relations has generators that are graded commutators corresponding to edges. We show that the Hilbert series of this algebra is the inverse of the clique polynomial of the graph. Using this result it easy to recognize if the ideal is inert, from which strong results on the algebra follow. Non-commutative Grobner bases play an important role in our proof. There is an interesting application to toric topology. This algebra arises naturally from a partial product of spheres, which is a special case of a generalized moment-angle complex. We apply our result to the loop-space homology of this space.Comment: 19 pages, v3: elaborated on connections to related work, added more citations, to appear in Mathematische Zeitschrif

Betti numbers of Stanley--Reisner rings with pure resolutions

Let $\Delta$ be simplicial complex and let $k[\Delta]$ denote the Stanley--Reisner ring corresponding to $\Delta$. Suppose that $k[\Delta]$ has a pure free resolution. Then we describe the Betti numbers and the Hilbert--Samuel multiplicity of $k[\Delta]$ in terms of the $h$--vector of $\Delta$. As an application, we derive a linear equation system and some inequalities for the components of the $h$--vector of the clique complex of an arbitrary chordal graph. As an other application, we derive a linear equation system and some inequalities for the components of the $h$--vector of Cohen--Macaulay simplicial complexes.Comment: 18 pages, better introduction, ask for feedback before submissio

Cohen-Macaulay graphs and face vectors of flag complexes

We introduce a construction on a flag complex that, by means of modifying the associated graph, generates a new flag complex whose $h$-factor is the face vector of the original complex. This construction yields a vertex-decomposable, hence Cohen-Macaulay, complex. From this we get a (non-numerical) characterisation of the face vectors of flag complexes and deduce also that the face vector of a flag complex is the $h$-vector of some vertex-decomposable flag complex. We conjecture that the converse of the latter is true and prove this, by means of an explicit construction, for $h$-vectors of Cohen-Macaulay flag complexes arising from bipartite graphs. We also give several new characterisations of bipartite graphs with Cohen-Macaulay or Buchsbaum independence complexes.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures; major updat

Ehrhart clutters: Regularity and Max-Flow Min-Cut

If C is a clutter with n vertices and q edges whose clutter matrix has column vectors V={v1,...,vq}, we call C an Ehrhart clutter if {(v1,1),...,(vq,1)} is a Hilbert basis. Letting A(P) be the Ehrhart ring of P=conv(V), we are able to show that if A is the clutter matrix of a uniform, unmixed MFMC clutter C, then C is an Ehrhart clutter and in this case we provide sharp bounds on the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of A(P). Motivated by the Conforti-Cornuejols conjecture on packing problems, we conjecture that if C is both ideal and the clique clutter of a perfect graph, then C has the MFMC property. We prove this conjecture for Meyniel graphs, by showing that the clique clutters of Meyniel graphs are Ehrhart clutters. In much the same spirit, we provide a simple proof of our conjecture when C is a uniform clique clutter of a perfect graph. We close with a generalization of Ehrhart clutters as it relates to total dual integrality.Comment: Electronic Journal of Combinatorics, to appea

Cohen-Macaulay binomial edge ideals

We study the depth of classes of binomial edge ideals and classify all closed graphs whose binomial edge ideal is Cohen--Macaulay.Comment: 9 page

Determinantal Facet Ideals

We consider ideals generated by general sets of $m$-minors of an $m\times n$-matrix of indeterminates. The generators are identified with the facets of an $(m-1)$-dimensional pure simplicial complex. The ideal generated by the minors corresponding to the facets of such a complex is called a determinantal facet ideal. Given a pure simplicial complex $\Delta$, we discuss the question when the generating minors of its determinantal facet ideal $J_\Delta$ form a Gr\"obner basis and when $J_\Delta$ is a prime ideal

Prime splittings of Determinantal Ideals

We consider determinantal ideals, where the generating minors are encoded in a hypergraph. We study when the generating minors form a Gr\"obner basis. In this case, the ideal is radical, and we can describe algebraic and numerical invariants of these ideals in terms of combinatorial data of their hypergraphs, such as the clique decomposition. In particular, we can construct a minimal free resolution as a tensor product of the minimal free resolution of their cliques. For several classes of hypergraphs we find a combinatorial description of the minimal primes in terms of a prime splitting. That is, we write the determinantal ideal as a sum of smaller determinantal ideals such that each minimal prime is a sum of minimal primes of the summands.Comment: Final version to appear in Communications in Algebr