Non-constructible complexes and the bridge index (Q5942868)

A simplicial complex is constructible if it can be recursively constructed as the union of constructible complexes with a constructible intersection. Constructibility is strictly weaker than shellability. The authors prove that a \(3\)-dimensional polytopal ball or sphere is not constructible provided its \(1\)-skeleton contains a knot~\(K\) whose bridge number exceeds the number of edges of~\(K\). From this result the authors derive that for each \(d\geq 3\) there exists a simplicial PL-sphere whose cubical barycentric subdivision is not constructible.