Gaps in the numbers of vertices of cubical polytopes. I (Q1327456)

The present authors have shown [Isr. J. Math. 71, No. 2, 129-134 (1990; Zbl 0719.52009)] that a cubical \(d\)-polytope must have at least \(2^ d\) vertices. \textit{W. Jockusch} [Discrete Comput. Geom. 9, No. 2, 159-163 (1993; Zbl 0771.52005)] conjectured that, at some point past \(2^ d\), all possible numbers of vertices must occur. In contrast to this, the authors prove the following. If \(d \geq 4\) is even, then a cubical \(d\)- polytope has an even number of vertices (and, incidentally, of edges also).