A comparison theorem for f-vectors of simplicial polytopes

Abstract: Let

f_{i} (P)

denote the number of

i

-dimensional faces of a convex polytope

P

. Furthermore, let

S (n, d)

and

C (n, d)

denote, respectively, the stacked and the cyclic

d

-dimensional polytopes on

n

vertices. Our main result is that for every simplicial

d

-polytope

P

, if

f_r(S(n_1,d))le f_r(P) le f_r(C(n_2,d))

for some integers

n_{1}, n_{2}

and

r

, then

f_s(S(n_1,d))le f_s(P) le f_s(C(n_2,d))

for all

s

such that

r < s

. For

r = 0

these inequalities are the well-known lower and upper bound theorems for simplicial polytopes. The result is implied by a certain ``comparison theorem for $f$ -vectors, formulated in Section 4. Among its other consequences is a similar lower bound theorem for centrally-symmetric simplicial polytopes.

Review text

The author proves the following results. Let $S(n,d)$ and $C(n,d)$ denote the stacked and neighbourly (cyclic) $d$-polytopes with $n$ vertices, and let $f_i(P)$ denote the number of $i$-faces of a polytope $P$. If $P$ is a simplicial $d$-polytope such that $f_r(S(n_1,d)) \leq f_r(P) \leq f_r(C(n_2,d))$ for some number $n_1,n_2$ and $r$, then $f_s(S(n_1,d)) \leq f_s(P) \leq f_s(C(n_2,d))$ for all $r < s < d$. These inequalities generalize the well-known lower and upper bound theorems, which form the case $r = 0$. There is an analogous lower bound inequality for centrally symmetric simplicial polytopes. The core result, from which these inequalities are deduced, is significant in its own right. Suppose that $\Delta$ and $\Gamma$ are $(d-1)$-dimensional simplicial homology spheres whose $g$-vectors satisfy $g_i(\Delta) \geq g_i(\Gamma)$ for $i = 1,\ldots,t$ and $g_i(\Delta) \leq g_i(\Gamma)$ for $i = t+1,\ldots,\lfloor d/2 \rfloor$, where $0 \leq t \leq \lfloor d/2 \rfloor$. If $f_r(\Delta) \leq f_r(\Gamma)$ for some $0 \leq r \leq d-2$, then $f_s(\Delta) \leq f_s(\Gamma)$ for each $r < s < d$.

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