A complete characterization of the one-dimensional intrinsic Čech persistence diagrams for metric graphs (Q1713420)

This paper characterizes the 1-dimensional persistent homology of intrinsic Čech complexes of a metric graph \(G\) with a finite number of loops. Indeed, if the metric graph \(G\) is homotopy equivalent to a wedge sum of \(n\) circles, then the 1-dimensional persistent homology barcode has \(n\) intervals, each with birth time zero. The death times of the intervals are given by the lengths of a lexicographically shortest basis for 1-dimensional homology of \(G\) (divided by four). The algebraic arguments behind the proof are carefully constructed, and the figures illustrate the main ideas. The result is well-motivated by applications of metric graphs to biology, to social networks, and to transportation systems. The paper has motivated extensions from metric graphs to geodesic spaces [\textit{Ž. Virk}, Rev. Mat. Complut. 32, No. 1, 195--213 (2019; Zbl 1412.55018)]. The paper also advertises an interesting open question: the higher-dimensional persistent homology of a single loop is given in [\textit{M. Adamaszek} and \textit{H. Adams}, Pac. J. Math. 290, No. 1, 1--40 (2017; Zbl 1366.05124)], and the 1-dimensional persistent homology of general metric graphs is given in this paper, but what can be said about the higher-dimensional persistent homology of general metric graphs? For the entire collection see [Zbl 1401.55001].