Maximal periods of (Ehrhart) quasi-polynomials (Q2426428)

A quasi-polynomial is a function defined of the form \[ q(k)= c_dk^d+\cdots+ c_1(k)k+ c_0(k), \] where \(c_i\) are periodic functions in \(k\in\mathbb{Z}\). These polynomials play an important role in enumerative combinatorics. In this paper the authors show that the second leading coefficient of Ehrhart quasi-polynomial always has maximal period (that is, it has not period collapse). The authors also present results concerning maximal periods for coefficients. These are used to answer a question of Zaslavsky in relation with convolutions of quasi-polynomials.