Weighted Ehrhart theory: extending Stanley's nonnegativity theorem (Q6492254)

Let \(P \subset \mathbb R^d\) be a rational convex polytope and \(w:\mathbb R^d \to \mathbb R\) a polynomial weight function. The Ehrhart function is NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\mathrm{Erh}(P,w;t)=\sum_{n \geq 0} \sum_{x \in nP \cap \mathbb Z^d} w(x) t^n. NEWLINE\]NEWLINEBy explicitly computing the Ehrhart function of a half-open simplicial cone and using an inclusion-exclusion principle, the authors prove the following result (Prop. 2.4): If \(q\) is the denominator of \(P\), i.e. the smallest positive integer such that \(qP\) has integer vertices, \(r\) is the dimension of \(P\), and \(m\) the degree of \(w\), then NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\mathrm{Erh}(p,w;t)=\frac{h_{P,w}^*(t)}{(1-t^q)^{r+m+1}} NEWLINE\]NEWLINEfor some polynomial \(h_{P,w}^*(t)\) of degree at most \(q(r+m+1)-1\), which is called the weighted \(h^*\)-polynomial.NEWLINENEWLINEIn the classical case \(w=1\), [\textit{R. P. Stanley}, Ann. Discrete Math. 6, 333--342 (1980; Zbl 0812.52012); Eur. J. Comb. 14, No. 3, 251--258 (1993; Zbl 0799.52008)] has shown that \(h_{P,1}^*(t)\) has only nonnegative integer coefficients and that these coefficients depend in a monotone way on the polytope. This raises the question whether a similar positivity/monotonicity result still holds for the weighted \(h^*\)-polynomial.NEWLINENEWLINEThe following theorem answers this question:NEWLINE\begin{itemize}NEWLINE\item[1.] Let \(w\) be a homogeneous sum of products of linear forms that are positive on the cone \(C(P)\). Then the coefficients of \(h_{P,w}^*(t)\) are nonnegative.NEWLINE\item[2.] Let \(w\) be a homogeneous sum of nonnegative products of linear forms on \(P\). Then \(h_{P,w}^*(t) \geq 0\) for all \(t \geq 0\).NEWLINE\end{itemize}NEWLINENEWLINELet \(P,Q\) be rational polytopes with \(P \subseteq Q\). Let \(g\) be a common multiple of the denominators \(\delta(P)\) and \(\delta(Q)\). Then for all \(w\) as in case 1 of the previous theorem, the coefficients of NEWLINE\[NEWLINE (1+t^{\delta(P)}+\cdots+t^{g-\delta(P)})^{\dim P +m-1} h_{P,w}^*(t) NEWLINE\]NEWLINEare not larger than the coefficients of the corresponding polynomial for \(Q\). If moreover \(P,Q\) are of the same dimension and \(w\) as in case 2 of the previous theorem, then the above polynomial is pointwise not larger for all \(t \geq 0\) than the corresponding polynomial for \(Q\).NEWLINENEWLINEIn the final section, some examples are given that show that the assumptions on convexity, denominator, dimension and degree are necessary.