On the homeomorphism and homotopy type of complexes of multichains (Q6170059)

Let \(P\) be a poset with order relation \(\leq\), and for any integer \(r\geq 1\), let \(P_r\) be the set of all \(r\)-multichains in \(P\). In the paper under review, for any strictly increasing map \(\imath : [r]\rightarrow [2r]\), the authors define a simplicial complex on \(P_r\) as follows: For \(\mathfrak{p} : p_1\leq\cdots\leq p_r\) and \(\mathfrak{q} : q_1\leq\cdots\leq q_r\) in \(P_r\), set \(\mathfrak{p}\preceq_{\imath}\mathfrak{q}\) if \(p_t\geq q_s\) for \(s\leq \imath(t)-t\), and \(p_t\leq q_s\) for \(s>\imath(t)-t\). Consider the graph \(G_{\imath}(P_r)\) with vertex set \(P_r\) and edge set \[ E=\big\{\{\mathfrak{p}, \mathfrak{q}\} : \mathfrak{p} \preceq_{\imath} \mathfrak{q} \text{ and }\mathfrak{p}\neq\mathfrak{p}\big\}. \] Let \(\Delta(G_{\imath}(P_r))\) denote the clique complex of \(G_{\imath}(P_r)\). Note that in general, \(\preceq_{\imath}\) is not a partial order on \(P_r\). In fact, the authors prove that \(\preceq_{\imath}\) is a partial order on \(P_r\) if and only if for \(2\leq t\leq r\) we have \(\imath(t)=2t\) if \(t\) is even, and \(\imath(t)=2t-1\) if \(t\) is odd. Let \(\Delta(P)\) denote order complex of the poset \(P\). It is shown that for each integer \(r\geq 2\), the following conditions are equivalent: (1) The relation \(\preceq_{\imath}\) is reflexive. (2) \(\Delta(G_{\imath}(P_r))\) is a subdivision of \(\Delta(P)\). (3) \(\Delta(G_{\imath}(P_r))\) is homeomorphic to \(\Delta(P)\). Moreover, the authors prove that there are exactly \(2^r\) strictly increasing maps \(\imath : [r]\rightarrow [2r]\) with the property that \(\preceq_{\imath}\) is reflexive. It follows that there are \(2^{r-1}\) pairwise distinct subdivisions of \(\Delta(P)\), among which are the order complexes of the intervals in \(P\), the zig-zag poset of \(P\), and the \(r\)th edgewise subdivision of the order complex of \(P\). For a strictly increasing function \(\imath : [r]\rightarrow [2r]\), consider the relation \(\preceq'_{\imath}\) on \(P_r\) defined as \(\mathfrak{p}\preceq'_{\imath}\mathfrak{q}\) if \(\mathfrak{p}=\mathfrak{q}\) or \(\mathfrak{p}\neq\mathfrak{q}\) and \(\mathfrak{p}\preceq_{\imath}\mathfrak{q}\). The authors classify when \(\preceq'_{\imath}\) is a partial order, and furthermore prove that if \(\preceq'_{\imath}\) is a partial order, then the order complex of \(P_r\) with respect to \(\preceq'_{\imath}\) is homotopy equivalent to \(\Delta(P)\).