Complexes of not $i$-connected graphs

We construct a graph G such that any embedding of G into R^{3} contains a nonsplit link of two components, where at least one of the components is a nontrivial knot. Further, for any m < n we produce a graph H so that every embedding of H contains a nonsplit n component link, where at least m of the components are nontrivial knots. We then turn our attention to complete graphs and show that for any given n, every embedding of a large enough complete graph contains a two com...

The paper studies the connectivity properties of facet graphs of simplicial complexes of combinatorial interest. In particular, it is shown that the facet graphs of $d$-cycles, $d$-hypertrees and $d$-hypercuts are, respectively, $(d+1)$, $d$, and $(n-d-1)$-vertex-connected. It is also shown that the facet graph of a $d$-cycle cannot be split into more than $s$ connected components by removing at most $s$ vertices. In addition, the paper discusses various related issues, as we...

We denote the matching complex of the complete graph with $n$ vertices by $M_n$. Bouc first studied the topological properties of $M_n$ in connection with the Quillen complex. Later Bj\"{o}rner, Lov\'{a}sz, Vre\'{c}ica, and \v{Z}ivaljevi\'{c} showed that $M_n$ is homotopically $(\nu_n-1)$-connected, where $\nu_n=\lfloor{\frac{n+1}{3}}\rfloor-1$, but in general the topology of $M_n$ is not very well-understood even for smaller natural numbers. Forman developed discrete Morse...

This preprint was split in two and became the first two parts of a four-part series (arXiv:1405.1956, arXiv:1405:1955, and two in preparation). The remaining relevance of this preprint is due to the series of videotaped lectures (wClips) that are linked within.

We define a broad class of graphs that generalize the Gordian graph of knots. These knot graphs take into account unknotting operations, the concordance relation, and equivalence relations generated by knot invariants. We prove that overwhelmingly, the knot graphs are not Gromov hyperbolic, with the exception of a particular family of quotient knot graphs. We also investigate the property of homogeneity, and prove that the concordance knot graph is homogeneous. Finally, we pr...

A graph associahedron is a polytope dual to a simplicial complex whose elements are induced connected subgraphs called tubes. Graph associahedra generalize permutahedra, associahedra, and cyclohedra, and therefore are of great interest to those who study Coxeter combinatorics. This thesis characterizes nested complexes of simplicial complexes, which we call $\Delta$-nested complexes. From here, we can define P-nestohedra by truncating simple polyhedra, and in more specifici...

In this thesis we work with Khovanov homology of links and its generalizations, as well as with the homology of graphs. Khovanov homology of links consists of graded chain complexes which are link invariants, up to chain homotopy, with graded Euler characteristic equal to the Jones polynomial of the link. Hence, it can be regarded as the "categorif\mbox{}ication" of the Jones polynomial. \indent We prove that the f\mbox{}irst homology group of positive braid knots is trivial....

Let X(G) denote the flag complex of a graph G=(V,E) on n vertices. We study relations between the first eigenvalues of successive higher Laplacians of X(G). One consequence is the following result: Let \lambda_2(G) denote the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian of G. If \lambda_2(G)> \frac{kn}{k+1} then the real k-th reduced cohomology group H^k(X(G)) is zero. Applications include a lower bound on the homological connectivity of the independent sets complex I(G), in t...

For $r\geq 1$, the $r$-independence complex of a graph $G$ is a simplicial complex whose faces are subset $I \subseteq V(G)$ such that each component of the induced subgraph $G[I]$ has at most $r$ vertices. In this article, we determine the homotopy type of $r$-independence complexes of certain families of graphs including complete $s$-partite graphs, fully whiskered graphs, cycle graphs and perfect $m$-ary trees. In each case, these complexes are either homotopic to a wedge ...

We discuss the topological properties of the independence complex of Kneser graphs, Ind(KG$(n, k))$, with $n\geq 3$ and $k\geq 1$. By identifying one kind of maximal simplices through projective planes, we obtain homology generators for the $6$-dimensional homology of the complex Ind(KG$(3, k))$. Using cross-polytopal generators, we provide lower bounds for the rank of $p$-dimensional homology of the complex Ind(KG$(n, k))$ where $p=1/2\cdot {2n+k\choose 2n}$. Denote $\math...