English

The Dowker theorem via discrete Morse theory

Combinatorics 2024-07-23 v1 Algebraic Topology

Abstract

The Dowker theorem is a classical result in the topology of finite spaces, claiming that any binary relation between two finite spaces defines two homotopy-equivalent complexes (the Dowker complexes). Recently, Barmak strengthened this to a simple-homotopy-equivalence. We reprove Barmak's result using a combinatorial argument that constructs an explicit acyclic matching in the sense of discrete Morse theory.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2407.15454,
  title  = {The Dowker theorem via discrete Morse theory},
  author = {Morten Brun and Darij Grinberg},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.15454},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

20 pages. Comments are appreciated!

R2 v1 2026-06-28T17:49:14.587Z