A homology theory for colored graphs (Q1343779)

The graphs considered in this paper may have multiple edges but not loops. A colored graph is a graph where each edge has been assigned a color such that adjacent edges receive distinct colors. Colored graphs can be used to represent the topological structure of a piecewise linear manifold. For example, any 2-manifold (and in fact any cellular representation of a 2-manifold) can be represented by a 3-colored cubic graph. The authors present a homology theory for colored graphs which is motivated by this relationship with manifolds. Using purely combinatorial methods they develop analogs to exact homology sequences, cohomology groups, products, duality, etc. They also examine the relationship with the corresponding topological concept. They give some combinatorial numerical invariants of manifolds arising from colored graphs which represent them.