Face rings of cycles, associahedra, and standard Young tableaux (Q311520)

Summary: We show that \(J_n\), the Stanley-Reisner ideal of the \(n\)-cycle, has a free resolution supported on the \((n-3)\)-dimensional simplicial associahedron \(A_n\). This resolution is not minimal for \(n \geqslant 6\); in this case the Betti numbers of \(J_n\) are strictly smaller than the \(f\)-vector of \(A_n\). We show that in fact the Betti numbers \(\beta_{d}\) of \(J_n\) are in bijection with the number of standard Young tableaux of shape \((d+1, 2, 1^{n-d-3})\). This complements the fact that the number of \((d-1)\)-dimensional faces of \(A_n\) are given by the number of standard Young tableaux of (super)shape \((d+1, d+1, 1^{n-d-3})\); a bijective proof of this result was first provided by \textit{R. P. Stanley} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 76, No. 1, 175--177 (1996; Zbl 0859.05075)]. An application of discrete Morse theory yields a cellular resolution of \(J_n\) that we show is minimal at the first syzygy. We furthermore exhibit a simple involution on the set of associahedron tableaux with fixed points given by the Betti tableaux, suggesting a Morse matching and in particular a poset structure on these objects.