Mixed partition functions and exponentially bounded edge-connection rank (Q2031486)

Summary: We study graph parameters whose associated edge-connection matrices have exponentially bounded rank growth. Our main result is an explicit construction of a large class of graph parameters with this property that we call mixed partition functions. Mixed partition functions can be seen as a generalization of partition functions of vertex models, as introduced by \textit{P. de la Harpe} and \textit{V. F. R. Jones} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 57, No. 2, 207--227 (1993; Zbl 0729.57003)] and they are related to invariant theory of orthosymplectic supergroup. We moreover show that evaluations of the characteristic polynomial of a simple graph are examples of mixed partition functions, answering a question of de la Harpe and Jones [loc. cit.]. (NOTE. Some of the results of this paper were announced in an extended abstract: \textit{G. Regts} and \textit{B. Sevenster} [Electron. Notes Discrete Math. 61, 1011--1017 (2017; Zbl 1378.05172)]. Unfortunately that reference contains a mistake; we will comment on that below).