Simplicial properties of the set of planar binary trees (Q5929978)

The paper provides foundational material for the definition of dialgebra homology [\textit{J.-L. Loday}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 321, 141-146 (1995; Zbl 0845.16036)] in terms of a derived functor, developed further by \textit{A. Frabetti, J.-L. Loday}, et al. [Dialgebras and related operads, Lect. Notes Math. 1763 (Springer Verlag, Berlin) (2001; Zbl 0970.00010), see Zbl 0999.17002 et al. for the single items]. Recall that a dialgebra \(D\) is a \(k\)-module with two associative operations \(\dashv\), \(\vdash\), which satisfy \[ \begin{aligned} (a \dashv b)\dashv c &= a\dashv (b\dashv c)= a\dashv (b\vdash c)\\ (a\vdash b)\vdash c &= a\vdash (b\vdash c)= (a\dashv b)\vdash c\\ (a\vdash b)\dashv c &= a\vdash (b\dashv c) \end{aligned} \] for all \(a,b,c\in D\). The dialgebra homology of \(D\) with coefficients in \(D\) is denoted \(HY_*(D; D^{\text{op}})\) and is computed from the chain complex \[ k[Y_0]\otimes D\leftarrow k[Y_1]\otimes D^{\otimes 2}\leftarrow\cdots \leftarrow k[Y_n]\otimes D^{\otimes(n+1)} \leftarrow\cdots, \] where \(Y_n\) is the set of rooted binary planar trees with \(n\) internal nodes, or equivalently \(n+1\) leaves. The paper under review considers the case \(D=k\), a field, and provides a detailed analysis of the basic complex \[ k[Y_0]\leftarrow k[Y_1]\leftarrow\cdots k[Y_{n-1}] @< d << k[Y_n] \leftarrow\cdots, \] which plays an essential role in the author's further work (see A. Frabetti and J.-L. Loday cited above). Note that \[ d:k[Y_n]\to k[Y_{n-1}] \] is defined as \(d= \sum_{i=0}^n (-1)^id_i\), where, for \(y\in Y_n\), \(d_i(y)\) is the \(n-1\) tree obtained from \(y\) by deleting the \(i\)th leaf, with the leaves of \(y\) numbered \(0,1,2,\dots, n\) from left to right. Furthermore, there are maps \(s_j: Y_n\to Y_{n+1}\), \(j=0,1,2,\dots, n\), given by bifurcating the \(j\)th leaf of \(y\in Y_n\). The operations \(d_i\) and \(s_j\) satisfy all the relations of a simplicial set, except \(s_is_i\neq s_{i+1}s_i\), and form a structure the author calls an almost-simplicial set (which is in fact stronger than a pseudo-simplicial set). Proven is that for a field \(k\), the complex \(k[Y_*]\) is contractible via an explicit chain homotopy, from which follows \[ HY_n(k;k)= 0, \quad n\geq 0, \] where \(k\) is considered as a dialgebra with both \(\dashv\) and \(\vdash\) being the usual multiplication in \(k\). Furthermore, (for any ring \(k\)), \(k[Y_*]\) is written as a double complex \(k[Y_{*,*}]\), where, for \(p\geq 0\) and \(q\geq 0\), \(Y_{p,q}\) is the subset of \(Y_{p+q+1}\) containing those trees with \(p\)-many internal leaves oriented like / and \(q\)-many leaves oriented like \(\setminus\). The vertical complexes \(k[Y_{p,*}]\) are studied in detail, and within each \(Y_{p,*}\) certain base trees are found which generate subcomplexes of the vertical complexes. Using the rich recursive nature of binary trees, the base trees of \(Y_{p,*}\) are shown to be in bijective correspondence with the set \(Y_p\) itself.