Families of Tight Inequalities for Polytopes

We use the Billera-Liu algebra to show how the flag f-vectors of several special classes of polytopes fit into the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all polytopes. In particular, we describe inequalities that define the faces of the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all d-polytopes that are spanned by the flag f-vectors of simplicial, simple, k-simplicial, and k-simple d-polytopes. We also describe inequalities that define the face of the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all d-zonotopes spanned by the flag f-vectors of cubical d-zonotopes, and give an upper bound on the dimension of the span of the flag f-vectors of k-cubical zonotopes. Finally, we strengthen some previously known inequalities for flag f-vectors of zonotopes.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Mathematics, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USA

   Catherine Stenson

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Stenson.

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