Polynomial formulas for Betti numbers of squared-path cut complexes

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Let PnP_n be the path graph on nn vertices, let Pn2P_n^2 denote its square, and let β(k,n)\beta(k,n) be the unique nonzero Betti number of the cut complex Δk(Pn2)\Delta_k(P_n^2).

Polynomial formula conjecture. For k=4k=4 and k=5k=5, the Betti numbers are conjectured to satisfy

β(4,n)=3+8(n−71)+6(n−72)+(n−73),n≥7,\beta(4,n)=3+8\binom{n-7}{1}+6\binom{n-7}{2}+\binom{n-7}{3},\qquad n\ge 7, β(5,n)=6+20(n−81)+21(n−82)+7(n−83)+(n−84),n≥8.\beta(5,n)=6+20\binom{n-8}{1}+21\binom{n-8}{2}+7\binom{n-8}{3}+\binom{n-8}{4},\qquad n\ge 8.

These formulas extend the computed Betti-number data for the squared path; no proof or resolution is supplied here.

References

Primary source

Margaret Bayer, Mark Denker, Marija Jelić Milutinović, Sheila Sundaram and Lei Xue, “Topology of Cut Complexes II”, arXiv:2407.08158 (2024).

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