\(f\)-vectors of polyhedra (Q1376481)

Let \(X\) be an \(n\)-dimensional polyhedron, \(\Delta\) a triangulation of \(X\), and \(f_i=f_i(X;\Delta)\) the number of \(i\)-dimensional simplices in \(\Delta\), so that \((f_0, \dots, f_n) \) is the \(f\)-vector of the triangulation. If \(x\in X\) is such that \(\chi (\text{lk} (x,X)) \neq \chi (S^{n-1}) (=1- (-1)^n)\), then \(x\) is called singular. The set of singular points is shown to be the union of relative interiors of simplices in \(\Delta\), of maximal dimension \(s\) (say); if \(X\) has no singular points, then \(s\) is taken to be \(-1\) or 0 as \(n\) is even or odd. The main result of the paper is that the affine span of the \(f\)-vectors of all triangulation of \(X\) is \((n+s+1)/2\); this is a consequence of an explicit description of the equations (analogous to the Dehn-Sommerville and Euler equations) satisfied by these \(f\)-vectors. [Reviewer's remark: The citation \([M]\) to a paper of the reviewer is wrong; it should be to Isr. J. Math. 9, 559-570 (1971; Zbl 0209.53701)].