Strong properties in partially ordered sets. II (Q790133)

All posets P are finite and equipped with a rank function \(r:P\to N\) such that \(r(x)=0\) if x is minimal and such that \(r(y)=r(x)+1\) if \(y\gtrdot x\) (y covers x). \(N_ i(P)=r^{-1}(i)\) is the ith level; \(W_ i(P)=| N_ i(P)|.\quad F_ h\subseteq P\) is an h-family if no \(h+1\) elements lie on a single chain in \(F_ h\). P has the h-family property if the size of a maximal h-family equals the sum of the h largest Whitney numbers \(W_ i(P)\). P has the strong h-family property if every maximal h-family is the union of h complete levels. \([a,b)=\{a,a+1,...,b-1\}\). If \(A\subseteq N_ k(P)\), \(R(A)\subseteq N_{k+1}(P)\) is the set of all elements related to some element of A. P is I-normal (I-n) \((I\subseteq [0,r(P)))\) if: (a) \(| A| /W_ k\leq | R(A)| /W_{k+1}\) for all \(A\subseteq N_ k\) and all \(k\in [0,r(P));\) (b) proper inequality in (a) if \(\emptyset \neq A\subseteq N_ k,\quad k\in [0,r(P))\backslash I.\) (normal \(\Leftrightarrow I=[0,r(P)),\) strong- normal \(\Leftrightarrow I=\emptyset)\). The Whitney numbers of P are I- logarithmic concave if: (a) \(W_ k^ 2\geq W_{k-1}W_{k+1}\) for all \(k\in(0,r(P));\) (b) inequality in (a) if \(k\in(0,r(P))\backslash I.\) The Whitney numbers are symmetric if \(W_ k=W_{r(P)-k}\) for all \(k\in [0,r(P)].\) The main theorem in this continuation of an earlier paper by the author [Part I, ibid. 47, 229-234 (1983; Zbl 0524.06001)] is the following: Let P be an \([\alpha_ 1\), \(\beta_ 1)\)-normal poset with \((\alpha_ 2,\beta_ 2)\)-logarithmic concave (and symmetric) Whitney numbers and let \(0<\alpha_ 1\leq r(P),\quad 0\leq \beta_ 1<r(P),\quad 0\leq \alpha_ 2\leq r(P).\quad 0\leq \beta_ 2\leq r(P).\) Further, let Q be a strong normal poset with logarithmic concave (and symmetric) Whitney numbers. Then \(P\times Q\) is a (\(\sigma\),\(\tau)\)-normal poset with (\(\sigma\),\(\tau)\)-logarithmic concave (and symmetric) Whitney numbers, \(where\) \(\sigma\) :\(=r(P)\) and \(\tau =r(Q)\) if r(P)\(\leq r(Q) and\) \(\sigma\) :\(=r(Q)+\min \{\alpha_ 1,\alpha_ 2\}\) and \(\tau =\max \{\beta_ 1,\beta_ 2\}\) if \(r(P)>r(Q).\) If \(r(Q_ 1)\leq r(Q_ 2)\leq...\leq r(Q_ n)\), (\(n\geq 2)\), where the \(Q_ i\) are strong normal posets with [strong, i.e., \(I=\emptyset]\) logarithmic concave (and symmetric) Whitney numbers, then \(P=\prod^{n}_{i=1}Q_ i\) is an [\(\alpha\),\(\beta)\)-normal [strong normal] poset with (\(\alpha\),\(\beta)\)-logarithmic concave [strong logarithmic concave (and symmetric)] Whitney numbers which has the strong h-family property for \(h\in [\max \{l,\beta -\alpha +1\},\quad r(P)],\quad \alpha +\beta =\sum r(Q_ i),\quad \beta =r(Q_ n)\) [all h]. The author notes the interesting fact that \(\prod^{n}_{i=1}Q_ i\) can be strong normal, with \(\prod^{k}_{i=1}Q_ i\) not so for some \(k\in [1,n)\). By proper selection of the sets \(Q_ i\), these results cover many special cases as observed in this useful paper.