The flag upper bound theorem for 3- and 5-manifolds (Q1686317)

A simplicial complex \(\Delta\) is flag if all of its minimal non-faces have cardinality two, or equivalently, \(\Delta\) is the clique complex of its graph. A homology sphere is an \(n\)-manifold \(\Delta\) having the homology groups of an \(n\)-sphere, for some integer \(n \geq 1\). For \(m \geq 1\), let \(J_m (n)\) be the \((2m - 1)\)-sphere on \(n\) vertices obtained as the join of \(m\) copies of the circle, each one a cycle with either \(\lfloor\frac{n}{m}\rfloor\) or \(\lceil\frac{n}{m}\rceil\) vertices. In [Discrete Comput. Geom. 45, No. 3, 503--521 (2011; Zbl 1231.52009)], \textit{E. Nevo} and \textit{T. K. Petersen} conjectured that for a flag homology \((2m - 1)\)-sphere \(\Delta\) on \(n\) vertices, \(f_i (\Delta) \leq f_i (J_m (n))\) for all \(1 \leq i \leq 2m - 1\). As for the case of equality, in [Math. Scand. 118, No. 1, 70--82 (2016; Zbl 1350.57027)], \textit{F. H. Lutz} and \textit{E. Nevo} conjectured that for a flag simplicial \((2m - 1)\)-sphere \(\Delta\) on \(n\) vertices, \(f_i (\Delta) = f_i (J_m (n))\) for some \(1 \leq i \leq 2m - 1\) if and only if \(\Delta = J_m (n)\), where \(m\geq 2\). The main result of this article is that these two conjectures hold for all flag 3-manifolds. Further, the author gives an analogous argument for the class of flag 5-manifolds, i.e., establishes a sharp upper bound on the number of edges of flag 5-manifolds and characterizes the cases of equality. She also shows that the same upper bounds continues to hold for the class of flag 3-dimensional Eulerian complexes, and discusses the maximizers of the face numbers in this class.