Noncommutative algebras associated to complexes and graphs (Q5956138)

\textit{I. Gelfand}, \textit{V. Retakh} and \textit{R. L. Wilson} [Sel. Math., New Ser. 7, No. 4, 493-523 (2001; see the preceding review Zbl 0992.16025)] described an algebra which elucidated the role of the elementary symmetric functions for a polynomial over a skew field. This algebra \(Q_n\) had a combinatorial definition and the present paper describes a surprising link with (geometrical) complexes. With every set \(A\) of numbers between \(1\) and \(n\) an element \(u(A)\) of \(Q_n\) is defined and for any complex \(F\) with \(n\) nodes \(Q_n(F)\) is defined to be the quotient of \(Q_n\) by the ideal generated by all \(u(A)\), \(A\not\in F\). Thus \(Q_n(F)=Q_n\) if \(F\) consists of all subsets of \(\{1,\dots,n\}\), while for \(\dim(F)=0\), \(Q_n(F)\) reduces to the algebra of polynomials in \(n\) commuting variables. The authors consider the case where \(F\) is a graph (i.e., a one-dimensional complex) and prove that in this case \(Q_n(F)\) has a simple presentation with generators \(u(i)\), \(u(ij)\) (\(1\leq i,j\leq n\)). It is tempting to conjecture that this will help to elucidate the role of \(Q_n\) in describing the elementary symmetric functions.