The root-order conjecture for decomposable inversion roots

Let WW be a simply-laced Coxeter group, let wWw\in W, and let Rˇ+(w)\check R^+(w) be its associated inversion set. For a reduced expression i\mathbf i of ww, write <i<_{\mathbf i} for the corresponding order on Rˇ+(w)\check R^+(w). A root αˇRˇ+(w)\check\alpha\in\check R^+(w) is decomposable if it can be written as a sum of two roots in the relevant root system.

Root-order conjecture. If αˇRˇ+(w)\check\alpha\in\check R^+(w) is decomposable, then there exists a decomposition

αˇ=μˇ+μˇ\check\alpha=\check\mu+\check\mu'

such that, for two different reduced expressions i,i\mathbf i,\mathbf i' of ww,

μˇ<iμˇandμˇ<iμˇ.\check\mu<_{\mathbf i}\check\mu'\qquad\text{and}\qquad \check\mu'<_{\mathbf i'}\check\mu.

The statement need not hold for every decomposition of αˇ\check\alpha, only for at least one. It is motivated by the behavior of indecomposable elements of inversion sets and is presented as an open conjecture.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Changzheng Li, Konstanze Rietsch and Mingzhi Yang, “An anticanonical perspective on G/P Schubert varieties”, arXiv:2506.18388 (2025).

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