Finite phylogenetic complexity of \(\mathbb{Z}_p\) and invariants for \(\mathbb{Z}_3\) (Q326663)

Roughly speaking, phylogenetics from an algebraic point of view consist to consider a Markov process on a tree \(T\) and a finite abelian group \(G\). \textit{B. Sturmfels} and \textit{S. Sullivant} [J. Comp. Biol. 12, 204--228 (2005; Zbl 1391.13058)] proved that by a suitable change of variables one associates a projective toric variety \(X(T , G)\). It is also proved that we can assume that the tree is a star \(K_{1,n}\). That is one node and \(n\) leaves. In the paper under review the author gives an explicit description of the variety \(X(K_{1,n} , G)\) and its associated polytope \(P_{n,G}\). Equations defining \(X(K_{1,n} , G)\), called Phylogenetic invariants, correspond to integral relations among vertices of \(P_{n,G}\). The main results in this paper are: The phylogenetic complexity of any group \({\mathbb Z}_p\), where \(p\) is a prime number, is finite, and as conjectured by Sturmfels and Sullivant, the phylogenetic complexity of \({\mathbb Z}_3\) equals 3. It is interesting to point the utilization of Combinatorial Nullstellensatz in the proofs.