The Mayer-Vietoris and IC equations for convex polytopes (Q1346136)

The author uses geometric dissection to derive linear equations on the flag vector of convex polytopes and to provide new approaches to the complete system of such equations, which was originally discovered by \textit{M. M. Bayer} and \textit{L. J. Billera} [Invent. Math. 79, 143-157 (1985; Zbl 0553.52008)]. Namely, the flag vectors of convex \(d\)-polytopes span a space whose dimension is the \((d + 1)\)st Fibonacci number and which has a basis formed by the flag vectors of those polytopes which are obtained by applying successively the operators I (to produce a cylinder with the given polytope as basis) and \(C\) (to produce a cone over the given polytope). The so-called \(IC\) equation (showing relationships between the operators \(I\) and \(C)\) relates the flag vectors of the polytopes obtained in this way. It yields an elegant method for defining linear functions on the flag vectors of convex polytopes.