Hilbert series and suspensions of graphs (Q6116628)

Let \(G=(V,E)\) be a graph and \(V=\{x_1, \ldots, x_n\}\). The suspension graph of \(G\) is the graph \(G^W=(V\cup V', E\cup E')\) where \(V'=\{y_1, \ldots, y_n\}\) is a set, disjoint form \(V\), of \(n\) vertices, and \(E'= \{\{x_i,y_i\}\ | \ {i=1,\ldots,n}\}\) -- these edges are called \(whiskers\). In this paper, the authors investigate the relationship between the Hilbert series of the edge ideal of \(G^W\), and the combinatorial properties of \(G\). In Theorem 3.5 it is shown that \[ H_{R/I({G^W})}(t)=\dfrac{P_G(t)}{1-t^n} \] where \(P_G(t)\) is the independence polynomial of the graph \(G.\) That is, the \(h\)-vector of \(I(G^W)\) is equal to the \(f\)-vector of the Stanley-Reisner complex of \(G\). In particular, as noted in Corollary 3.8, this gives a way to construct families of graphs whose Hilbert series have a symmetric numerator. Several interesting examples and applications are discussed in the last part of the paper.