Enumeration in convex geometries and associated polytopal subdivisions of spheres (Q2482198)

Recall that the number of faces in an arrangement of hyperplanes in real Euclidean space can be read from the underlying geometric lattice of all intersections of these hyperplanes. This result, due to \textit{T. Zaslavsky} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 154, 102~p. (1975; Zbl 0296.50010)], has been extended to the determination of the number of chains of faces in arrangements, which in turn have been shown to depend on the number of chains in the associated geometric lattice and can be understood in terms of quasisymmetric functions [\textit{L. J. Billera, S. K. Hsiao} and \textit{S.~van Willigenburg}, Adv. Math. 176, No.~2, 248--276 (2003; Zbl 1027.05105)]. By working with meet-distributive lattices in place of geometric lattices, the authors show that a similar situation exists for convex geometries; i.e.\ for each convex geometry they construct a regular CW sphere whose enumerative properties are related to the underlying geometry. In addition, the first barycentric subdivisions of these spheres are combinatorially simplicial convex polytopes. The paper under review extends previous work of Provan. The final section provides an extension of a result of Edelman and Jamison's [\textit{P. H. Edelman} and \textit{R. E. Jamison}, Geom. Dedicata 19, 247--270 (1985; Zbl 0577.52001); Theorem 4.7]. It also provides new counterexamples to Gal's conjecture that the \(h\)-polynomial of a flag simplicial triangulation of a sphere should have only real roots [\textit{S. R. Gal}, Discrete Comput. Geom. 34, No.~2, 269--284 (2005; Zbl 1085.52005)].