On the refinements of a polyhedral subdivision (Q5957084)

A polyhedral subdivision of a set \(V\) of points is a set \(S\) of subsets of \(V\) which behaves in some sense like a polytope. Specifically, for any two elements \(A\) and \(B\) of \(S\), we must have \(\text{conv}(A)\cap\text{conv}(B)\) is a (possibly empty) face \(F\) of both polytopes \(\text{conv}(A)\) and \(\text{conv}(B)\), and also \(F\cap A=F\cap B\), furthermore, the union of all the \(\text{conv}(A)\) is \(\text{conv}(V)\). A refinement of \(S\) is a polyhedral subdivision \(T\) of \(P\) such that for all \(A\in T\) there exists \(B\in S\) such that \(A\subseteq B\). Given an affine projection \(\pi\) from \(R^p\) to \(R^q\), a polytope in \(R^p\) defines a polyhedral subdivision of \(|(P)\pi\) in an obvious way. Such subdivisions are called \(\pi\)-induced subdivisions and were first discussed by \textit{L. J. Billera} and \textit{B. Sturmfels} [Ann. Math. 135, No. 3, 527-549 (1992; Zbl 0762.52003)]. The fiber polytope is the polytope whose faces are so-called coherent \(\pi\)-induced subdivisions of a particular vertex set, with incidence of two faces determined by whether one is a refinement of the other. In the article under review, the author introduces a generalisation of the concept of the fiber polytope (called the refinement polytope) and develops some preliminary theory relating to his generalisation. The theory is applied to certain questions (in particular relating to the Baues conjecture), solving some and leaving some open.