Combinatorics and Hodge theory (Q6200326)

Summary: I will tell two interrelated stories illustrating fruitful interactions between combinatorics and Hodge theory. The first is that of Lorentzian polynomials, based on [\textit{P. Brändén} and \textit{J. Huh}, Ann. Math. (2) 192, No. 3, 821--891 (2020; Zbl 1454.52013)]. They link continuous convex analysis and discrete convex analysis via tropical geometry, and they reveal subtle information on graphs, convex bodies, projective varieties, Potts model partition functions, log-concave polynomials, and highest weight representations of general linear groups. The second is that of intersection cohomology of matroids, based on [\textit{T. Braden} et al., ``Singular Hodge theory for combinatorial geometries'', Preprint, arXiv:2010.06088 [math.CO] (2020)]. It shows a surprising parallel between the theory of convex polytopes, Coxeter groups, and matroids. After giving an overview of the similarity, I will outline proofs of two combinatorial conjectures on matroids, the nonnegativity conjecture for their Kazhdan-Lusztig coefficients and the top-heavy conjecture for the lattice of flats. For the entire collection see [Zbl 07816355].