English

A Homological Separation of $\mathbf{P}$ from $\mathbf{NP}$ via Computational Topology and Category Theory

Computational Complexity 2025-12-22 v2 Commutative Algebra Category Theory Rings and Algebras

Abstract

This paper establishes the separation of complexity classes P\mathbf{P} and NP\mathbf{NP} through a novel homological algebraic approach grounded in category theory. We construct the computational category Comp\mathbf{Comp}, embedding computational problems and reductions into a unified categorical framework. By developing computational homology theory, we associate to each problem LL a chain complex C(L)C_{\bullet}(L) whose homology groups Hn(L)H_n(L) capture topological invariants of computational processes. Our main result demonstrates that problems in P\mathbf{P} exhibit trivial computational homology (Hn(L)=0H_n(L) = 0 for all n>0n > 0), while NP\mathbf{NP}-complete problems such as SAT possess non-trivial homology (H1(SAT)0H_1(\mathrm{SAT}) \neq 0). This homological distinction provides the first rigorous proof of PNP\mathbf{P} \neq \mathbf{NP} using topological methods. Our work inaugurates computational topology as a new paradigm for complexity analysis, offering finer distinctions than traditional combinatorial approaches and establishing connections between structural complexity theory and homological invariants.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2510.17829,
  title  = {A Homological Separation of $\mathbf{P}$ from $\mathbf{NP}$ via Computational Topology and Category Theory},
  author = {Jian-Gang Tang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.17829},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

88 pages, 2 figures, 8 listings