English

Generalized Ehrhart polynomials

Combinatorics 2011-09-28 v2 Number Theory

Abstract

Let PP be a polytope with rational vertices. A classical theorem of Ehrhart states that the number of lattice points in the dilations P(n)=nPP(n) = nP is a quasi-polynomial in nn. We generalize this theorem by allowing the vertices of P(n) to be arbitrary rational functions in nn. In this case we prove that the number of lattice points in P(n) is a quasi-polynomial for nn sufficiently large. Our work was motivated by a conjecture of Ehrhart on the number of solutions to parametrized linear Diophantine equations whose coefficients are polynomials in nn, and we explain how these two problems are related.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1002.3658,
  title  = {Generalized Ehrhart polynomials},
  author = {Sheng Chen and Nan Li and Steven V Sam},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1002.3658},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

18 pages, no figures; v2: Sections 4 and 5 added, proofs and exposition have been expanded and clarified

R2 v1 2026-06-21T14:48:46.313Z