The Action of the Weyl Group on the $$E_8$$ Root System

Let $$\varGamma $$ Γ be the graph on the roots of the $$E_8$$ E 8 root system, where any two distinct vertices e and f are connected by an edge with color equal to the inner product of e and f. For any set c of colors, let $$\varGamma _c$$ Γ c be the subgraph of $$\varGamma $$ Γ consisting of all the 240 vertices, and all the edges whose color lies in c. We consider cliques, i.e., complete subgraphs, of $$\varGamma $$ Γ that are either monochromatic, or of size at most 3, or a maximal clique in $$\varGamma _c$$ Γ c for some color set c, or whose vertices are the vertices of a face of the $$E_8$$ E 8 root polytope. We prove that, apart from two exceptions, two such cliques are conjugate under the automorphism group of $$\varGamma $$ Γ if and only if they are isomorphic as colored graphs. Moreover, for an isomorphism f from one such clique K to another, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for f to extend to an automorphism of $$\varGamma $$ Γ , in terms of the restrictions of f to certain special subgraphs of K of size at most 7.

Root Cones and the Resonance Arrangement

We study the connection between triangulations of a type $A$ root polytope and the resonance arrangement, a hyperplane arrangement that shows up in a surprising number of contexts. Despite an elementary definition for the resonance arrangement, the number of resonance chambers has only been computed up to the $n=8$ dimensional case. We focus on data structures for labeling chambers, such as sign vectors and sets of alternating trees, with an aim at better understanding the structure of the resonance arrangement, and, in particular, enumerating its chambers. Along the way, we make connections with similar (and similarly difficult) enumeration questions. With the root polytope viewpoint, we relate resonance chambers to the chambers of polynomiality of the Kostant partition function. With the hyperplane viewpoint, we clarify the connections between resonance chambers and threshold functions. In particular, we show that the base-2 logarithm of the number of resonance chambers is asymptotically $n^2$.

Interior polynomial for signed bipartite graphs and the HOMFLY polynomial

The interior polynomial is a Tutte-type invariant of bipartite graphs, and a part of the HOMFLY polynomial of a special alternating link coincides with the interior polynomial of the Seifert graph of the link. We extend the interior polynomial to signed bipartite graphs, and we show that, in the planar case, it is equal to the maximal [Formula: see text]-degree part of the HOMFLY polynomial of a naturally associated link. Note that the latter can be any oriented link. This result fits into a program aimed at deriving the HOMFLY polynomial from Floer homology. We also establish some other, more basic properties of the signed interior polynomial. For example, the HOMFLY polynomial of the mirror image of [Formula: see text] is given by [Formula: see text]. This implies a mirroring formula for the signed interior polynomial in the planar case. We prove that the same property holds for any bipartite graph and the same graph with all signs reversed. The proof relies on Ehrhart reciprocity applied to the so-called root polytope. We also establish formulas for the signed interior polynomial inspired by the knot theoretical notions of flyping and mutation. This leads to new identities for the original unsigned interior polynomial.

Explicit construction of the Voronoi and Delaunay cells ofW(An) andW(Dn) lattices and their facets

Voronoi and Delaunay (Delone) cells of the root and weight lattices of the Coxeter–Weyl groupsW(An) andW(Dn) are constructed. The face-centred cubic (f.c.c.) and body-centred cubic (b.c.c.) lattices are obtained in this context. Basic definitions are introduced such as parallelotope, fundamental simplex, contact polytope, root polytope, Voronoi cell, Delone cell,n-simplex,n-octahedron (cross polytope),n-cube andn-hemicube and their volumes are calculated. The Voronoi cell of the root lattice is constructed as the dual of the root polytope which turns out to be the union of Delone cells. It is shown that the Delone cells centred at the origin of the root latticeAnare the polytopes of the fundamental weights ω1, ω2,…, ωnand the Delone cells of the root latticeDnare the polytopes obtained from the weights ω1, ωn−1and ωn. A simple mechanism explains the tessellation of the root lattice by Delone cells. It is proved that the (n−1)-facet of the Voronoi cell of the root latticeAnis an (n−1)-dimensional rhombohedron and similarly the (n−1)-facet of the Voronoi cell of the root latticeDnis a dipyramid with a base of an (n−2)-cube. The volume of the Voronoi cell is calculatedviaits (n−1)-facet which in turn can be obtained from the fundamental simplex. Tessellations of the root lattice with the Voronoi and Delone cells are explained by giving examples from lower dimensions. Similar considerations are also worked out for the weight latticesAn* andDn*. It is pointed out that the projection of the higher-dimensional root and weight lattices on the Coxeter plane leads to theh-fold aperiodic tiling, wherehis the Coxeter number of the Coxeter–Weyl group. Tiles of the Coxeter plane can be obtained by projection of the two-dimensional faces of the Voronoi or Delone cells. Examples are given such as the Penrose-like fivefold symmetric tessellation by theA4root lattice and the eightfold symmetric tessellation by theD5root lattice.

Triangulations of root polytopes and reduced forms (Extended abstract)

International audience The type $A_n$ root polytope $\mathcal{P}(A_n^+)$ is the convex hull in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ of the origin and the points $e_i-e_j$ for $1 \leq i < j \leq n+1$. Given a tree $T$ on vertex set $[n+1]$, the associated root polytope $\mathcal{P}(T)$ is the intersection of $\mathcal{P}(A_n^+)$ with the cone generated by the vectors $e_i-e_j$, where $(i, j) \in E(T)$, $i < j$. The reduced forms of a certain monomial $m[T]$ in commuting variables $x_{ij}$ under the reduction $x_{ij} x_{jk} \to x_{ik} x_{ij} + x_{jk} x_{ik} + \beta x_{ik}$, can be interpreted as triangulations of $\mathcal{P}(T)$. If we allow variables $x_{ij}$ and$x_{kl}$ to commute only when $i, j, k, l$ are distinct, then the reduced form of $m[T]$ is unique and yields a canonical triangulation of $\mathcal{P}(T)$ in which each simplex corresponds to a noncrossing alternating forest. Le polytope des racines $\mathcal{P}(A_n^+)$ de type $A_n$ est l'enveloppe convexe dans $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ de l'origine et des points $e_i-e_j$ pour $1 \leq i < j \leq n+1$. Étant donné un arbre $T$ sur l'ensemble des sommets $[n+1]$, le polytope des racines associé, $\mathcal{P}(T)$, est l'intersection de $\mathcal{P}(A_n^+)$ avec le cône engendré par les vecteurs $e_i-e_j$, où $(i, j) \in E(T)$, $i < j$. Les formes réduites d'un certain monôme $m[T]$ en les variables commutatives $x_{ij}$ sous la reduction $x_{ij} x_{jk} \to x_{ik} x_{ij} + x_{jk} x_{ik} + \beta x_{ik}$ peuvent être interprétées comme des triangulations de $\mathcal{P}(T)$. Si on impose la restriction que les variables $x_{ij}$ et $x_{kl}$ commutent seulement lorsque les indices $i, j, k, l$ sont distincts, alors la forme réduite de $m[T]$ est unique et produit une triangulation canonique de $\mathcal{P}(T)$ dans laquelle chaque simplexe correspond à une forêt alternée non croisée.