Path positivity and infinite Coxeter groups (Q1316184)

A Coxeter graph is a connected graph without loops, with each edge labeled with an integer \(\geq 3\) or with \(\infty\). The adjacency matrix of a Coxeter graph is defined to be a square matrix \(A(G)= (a_{ij})\) where \(a_{ij}= 2\cos(\pi/p)\) if the edge \((i,j)\) is labeled with \(p\), and 0 if there is no edge between \(i\) and \(j\). For any positive integer \(k\), let \(P_ k\) denote the characteristic polynomial of the adjacency matrix of the path on \(k\) vertices (i.e., the connected graph with \(k\) vertices, say \(1,2,\dots,k\), and \(k-1\) edges such that vertices \(i\) and \(i+1\) are adjacent, \(i= 1,2,\dots,k-1)\). A Coxeter graph is said to be path-positive if for all positive integers \(k\) the matrix \(P_ k(A(G))\) is entrywise nonnegative. In this paper, the authors show that with very few exceptions any Coxeter graph is path- positive. The result implies a new criterion for the infiniteness of a Coxeter group.