English

On Weighted Simplicial Homology

Algebraic Topology 2022-05-10 v1 Combinatorics General Topology K-Theory and Homology

Abstract

We develop a framework for computing the homology of weighted simplicial complexes with coefficients in a discrete valuation ring. A weighted simplicial complex, (X,v)(X,v), introduced by Dawson [Cah. Topol. G\'{e}om. Diff\'{e}r. Cat\'{e}g. 31 (1990), pp. 229--243], is a simplicial complex, XX, together with an integer-valued function, vv, assigning weights to simplices, such that the weight of any of faces are monotonously increasing. In addition, weighted homology, Hnv(X)H_n^v(X), features a new boundary operator, nv\partial_n^v. In difference to Dawson, our approach is centered at a natural homomorphism θ\theta of weighted chain complexes. The key object is Hnv(X/θ)H^v_{n}(X/\theta), the weighted homology of a quotient of chain complexes induced by θ\theta, appearing in a long exact sequence linking weighted homologies with different weights. We shall construct bases for the kernel and image of the weighted boundary map, identifying nn-simplices as either κn\kappa_n- or μn\mu_n-vertices. Long exact sequences of weighted homology groups and the bases, allow us to prove a structure theorem for the weighted simplicial homology with coefficients in a ring of formal power series R=F[[π]]R=\mathbb{F}[[\pi]], where F\mathbb{F} is a field. Relative to simplicial homology new torsion arises and we shall show that the torsion modules are connected to a pairing between distinguished κn\kappa_n and μn+1\mu_{n+1} simplices.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2205.03435,
  title  = {On Weighted Simplicial Homology},
  author = {Thomas J. X. Li and Christian M. Reidys},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.03435},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

20 pages, 2 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-24T11:09:46.718Z