In between \(k\)-sets, \(j\)-facets, and \(i\)-faces: \((i,j)\)-partitions (Q1864131)

For a finite point set \(S\subset\mathbb{R}^d\) the parameter \(D_{i,j}= D_{i,j}(S)\) counts the \((i,j)\)-partitions, that is, the pairs \((A,B)\) of subsets such that \(A=S\cap H\) is the \(i\)-element intersection with a hyperplane \(H\) that has the \(j\) elements of \(B=S\cap H^+\) on its positive side. The parameters \(D_{i,j}\) interpolate between the numbers \(D_{0,j}\) of \(j\)-sets and the numbers \(D_{i+1,0}\) of \(i\)-faces of the convex hull of \(S\). This rich and inspiring paper connects the \(D_{i,j}\) with a number of diverse mathematical topics. Section 2 is a study of linear relations between the \(D_{i,j}\), which involves the \(k\)-set polytope \(Q_k(S)\), a ``deleted \(k\)-fold Minkowski sum,'' whose faces are identified as hypersimplices. The linear relations derived here are not complete (Remark 6), and they curiously miss the parameters \(D_{1,j}\) (Remark 4). Section 3 studies the change of the matrix \((D_{i,j})\) with continuous motion of the point sets. Section 4 derives that the vectors \((D_{d,j})\) and \((D_{0,k})\), counting \(j\)-facets resp.~\(k\)-sets, do not determine each other for \(d\geq 4\). Finally in Section 5 the \((D_{i,j})\)-matrix is computed for the case of a point set \(S\) on a \(d\)-order curve such as the moment curve.