coefficientRing(SimplicialComplex) -- get the coefficient ring of the underlying polynomial ring

Synopsis

Function: coefficientRing
Usage:

coefficientRing Delta
Inputs:
- Delta, an abstract simplicial complex,
Outputs:
- a ring, that is the coefficient ring of the polynomial ring that contains the defining Stanley–Reisner ideal

Description

In this package, an abstract simplicial complex is represented as squarefree monomial ideal in a polynomial ring. This method returns the coefficient ring of this polynomial ring.

We construct the boundary of the $4$-sphere using three different polynomial rings.

i1 : S = ZZ[a..e];

i2 : Δ = simplicialComplex {b*c*d*e, a*c*d*e, a*b*d*e, a*b*c*e, a*b*c*d}

o2 = simplicialComplex | bcde acde abde abce abcd |

o2 : SimplicialComplex

i3 : ring Δ

o3 = S

o3 : PolynomialRing

i4 : monomialIdeal Δ

o4 = monomialIdeal(a*b*c*d*e)

o4 : MonomialIdeal of S

i5 : coefficientRing Δ

o5 = ZZ

o5 : Ring

i6 : assert (ring Δ === S and coefficientRing Δ === ZZ and
         numgens ideal Δ === 1 )

i7 : R = QQ[a..e];

i8 : Γ = simplicialComplex {b*c*d*e, a*c*d*e, a*b*d*e, a*b*c*e, a*b*c*d}

o8 = simplicialComplex | bcde acde abde abce abcd |

o8 : SimplicialComplex

i9 : ring Γ

o9 = R

o9 : PolynomialRing

i10 : monomialIdeal Γ

o10 = monomialIdeal(a*b*c*d*e)

o10 : MonomialIdeal of R

i11 : coefficientRing Γ

o11 = QQ

o11 : Ring

i12 : assert (ring Γ === R and coefficientRing Γ === QQ and
          numgens ideal Γ === 1)

i13 : S' = ZZ/101[a..f];

i14 : Δ' = simplicialComplex {b*c*d*e, a*c*d*e, a*b*d*e, a*b*c*e, a*b*c*d}

o14 = simplicialComplex | bcde acde abde abce abcd |

o14 : SimplicialComplex

i15 : ring Δ'

o15 = S'

o15 : PolynomialRing

i16 : monomialIdeal Δ'

o16 = monomialIdeal (a*b*c*d*e, f)

o16 : MonomialIdeal of S'

i17 : coefficientRing Δ'

       ZZ
o17 = ---
      101

o17 : QuotientRing

i18 : assert (ring Δ' === S' and coefficientRing Δ' === ZZ/101 and
          numgens ideal Δ' === 2)

The Stanley–Reisner ideal is part of the defining data of an abstract simplicial complex, so this method does no computation.

Although an abstract simplicial complex can be represented by a Stanley–Reisner ideal in any polynomial ring with a sufficiently large number of variables, some operations in this package do depend of the choice of the polynomial ring (or its coefficient ring). For example, the chain complex of an abstract simplicial complex is, by default, constructed over the coefficient ring of its polynomial ring, and the dual of a simplicial complex (or monomial ideal) is dependent on the number of variables in the polynomial ideal.

i19 : C = chainComplex Δ

        1       5       10       10       5
o19 = ZZ  <-- ZZ  <-- ZZ   <-- ZZ   <-- ZZ
                                         
      -1      0       1        2        3

o19 : ChainComplex

i20 : D = chainComplex Γ

        1       5       10       10       5
o20 = QQ  <-- QQ  <-- QQ   <-- QQ   <-- QQ
                                         
      -1      0       1        2        3

o20 : ChainComplex

i21 : C' = chainComplex Δ'

        ZZ 1       ZZ 5       ZZ 10       ZZ 10       ZZ 5
o21 = (---)  <-- (---)  <-- (---)   <-- (---)   <-- (---)
       101        101        101         101         101
                                                     
      -1         0          1           2           3

o21 : ChainComplex

i22 : assert (D == C ** QQ and C' == C ** (ZZ/101))

Ways to use this method: