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Towards optimality in discrete Morse Theory through chain homotopies

Real Jurado, Pedro; Molina Abril, Helena

Abstract

Once a discrete Morse function has been defined on a finite cell complex, information about its homology can be deduced from its critical elements. The main objective of this paper is to define optimal discrete gradient vector fields on general finite cell complexes, where optimality entails having the least number of critical elements. Our approach is to consider this problem as a homology computation question for chain complexes endowed with extra algebraic nilpotent operator.

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Towa ds Op imali y in Disc e e Mo se Theo y h ough Chain Homo opies ∗ Ped o Real, Helena Molina-Ab il Uni e si y o Se illa, Depa men o Applied Ma hema ics, Se illa, Spain. [email p o ec ed], [email p o ec ed] Abs ac Once a disc e e Mo se unc ion has been de ined on a ini e cell complex, in o - ma ion abou i s homology can be deduced om i s c i ical elemen s. The main objec i e o his pape is o de ine op imal disc e e g adien ec o ields on gene al ini e cell complexes, whe e op imali y en ails ha ing he leas numbe o c i ical elemen s. Ou app oach is o conside his p oblem as a homology compu a ion ques ion o chain complexes endowed wi h ex a algeb aic nilpo en ope a o . Keywo ds: Disc e e Mo se Theo y, cell complex, in eg al-chain complex, chain homo opy, g aph, homology, g adien ec o ield. 1 In oduc ion Mo se heo y has been conside ed a powe ul ool in i s applica ions o compu a ional opology, compu e g aphics and geome ic modeling. In [5] Fo man o mula es a e sion o his heo y o disc e e s uc u es such as cell complexes. The aim o Disc e e Mo se Theo y is o ind simplicial collapses ha ans o m K o a smalle complex. This heo y elies ei he on admissible unc ions on a cell complex, called disc e e Mo se unc ions, o equi alen ly hei g adien ec o ield. Fo man p o ed ha he opology o a cell complex can be pa ly ead ou o he c i ical cells o a disc e e g adien ec o ield de ined on i . A g adien ec o ield is op imal i i has he minimum possible numbe o c i ical cells. The opological in o ma ion o he ini ial cell complex will be concise i he disc e e g adien ec o ield has ew c i ical cells. In [10] he au ho s de eloped a heu is ic o compu ing op imal Mo se ma chings. This heu is ic compu es op imal g adien ec o ields o combina o ial 2–mani olds. Howe e , o gene al cell complexes his p oblem has no been sol ed ye . In his pape we eco e all he algeb aic machine y unde lying in Disc e e Mo se Theo y, es ablishing a new amewo k o dealing wi h special chain complexes associa ed o ini e cell complexes. This can be done using an essen ially algeb aic amewo k in which “homological o es s” (see [11]) de ined on he ini ial cell complex a e con enien ools in o de o ob ain he minimum numbe o c i ical cells, ha is, he minimal homological exp ession o he ini ial complex. The idea he e is o classi y chain homo opies as g adien ec o ields on a ini e cell complex. The pape is o ganized as ollows: In Sec ion 2 some basic de ini ions a e in oduced. The heo e ical undamen s o ou wo k is de ailed in Sec ion 3. In Sec ion 4 he ela ion be ween his algeb aic machine y and he op imali y in Disc e e Mo se Theo y a e s ablished. We inish he pape wi h some conclusions. . ∗This wo k has been pa ially suppo ed by ”Compu a ional Topology and Applied Ma hema ics” PAICYT esea ch p ojec FQM-296, ”Andalusian esea ch p ojec PO6-TIC-02268 and Spanish MEC p ojec MTM2006- 03722 33 2 P eliminai es In his sec ion, we in oduce some basic de ini ions in o de o unde s and ou algeb aic– opological app oach. Fi s , we es ablish a no ion o (combina o ial) cell complex in a ini e–dimensional Euclidean space wi h he cell bounda y in o ma ion desc ibed in algeb aic e ms. This objec can be iden i ied wi h he chain complex canonically associa ed o a cell complex such ha he homology o i coincides wi h he singula homology o he cell complex. In ac , he geome ic ealiza ion o such cell complex in a ini e–dimensional Euclidean space has a ep esen a ion in e ms o a pa icula ype o egula cell complex (see [9] o a deep s udy o cell-complexes). Simplicial, cubical and polyhed al complexes a e, pa icula cases o cell complexes. The ollowing de ini ions a e necessa y in o de o classi y chain homo opies as g adien ec o ields on a ini e cell complex. The ing o coe icien s Λis a commu a i e ield ( o example, a ini e ield, he a ional numbe s, he eal numbe s,...). Le {x1,x 2, ..., xn}be a ini e se o symbols. We deno e by Λ[x1, . . . , xn] he module o o mal linea combina ions λ1x1+λ2x2+. . . λnxn, wi h λi∈Λ. Le "be a posi i e in ege . Le B!={x∈E!s. . |x|≤1) be he closed uni ball in he "-dimensional Euclidean space E!. The bounda y o B!is he uni ("−1)-sphe e S(!−1) and he in e io o B!, deno ed by In B!, is he open uni "-dimensional ball In B!={x∈E!s. . |x|<1}. Ap-cell in E!(wi h 0 <p≤") is a subse o E!which is homeomo phic o he open uni ball In Bp( ha is, o Rp). A 0–cell is a a opological space homeomo phic o a poin o a ini e-dimensional Euclidean space. The dimension o a p-cell σis |σ|=pand he no a ion σ(p)will indica e ha σis a cell o dimension p. The union as poin se o a se o cells Kin E!is called he ca ie o Kand i is deno ed by |K|. Le us de ine he bounda y o a p-cell σas ∂σ =σ σ, whe e σis he closu e o σ. To indica e ela ionships be ween cells, we w i e τ>σ(o σ<τ) and we say ha σis a ace o τi σ%=τand σ⊂¯τ, whe e ¯τis he closu e o τ. We w i e τ≥σi ei he τ=σo τ>σ. The s a o a cell σconsis s o all cells ha ing σas a ace, including σi sel , and he link consis s o all aces o cells in he s a ha a e disjoin om σ. S σ={τ∈K|σ<τ} Lk σ={ ∈K| <τ∈S σ, ∩σ=∅}. Acell complex K={Ki}! i=0 embedded in E!is a ini e collec ion o cells {σ( )i=1,...n i∈K }o di e en dimensions 0 ≤ ≤"such ha : (i) |K|= n ! i=1 σi=|K0|∪|K1|∪. . . ∪|K!| . The se K consis s o all he -cells o K, o 0 ≤ ≤". I is possible ha Ki=∅ o some 0 <i≤". (ii) σi∩σj=∅(i%=j); (iii) I dim(σi)=p(wi h 0 ≤p≤"), hen ∂σi⊂"p−1 i=1 Ki, The p-skele on K(p) o Kis he se o all k-cells wi h 0 ≤k≤p. The dimension o he cell complex is he smalles na u al numbe such ha he condi ion K( )=K( +1) is sa is ied. I all he cells o Ka e con ex se s o E!, hen Kis called con ex cell complex. Simplicial, Cubical and some polyhed al complexes a e special cases o con ex cell complexes. A cell complex is speci ied by he “ ace pose ”, he pa ial o de de e mined by he cells and i s bounda y ela ions. Roughly speaking, he idea o homology is o analyze he deg ee o connec i i y o cell com- plexes using o mal sums o cells. A di e en ial ope a o o a cell complex Kwi h coe icien s in 34 Λis a linea map d:Λ[K]→Λ[K], such ha he image o a p-cell σis a linea combina ion o some (p−1)-cells o he bounda y ∂(σ) and d◦d= 0. Taking in o accoun ha ou cell complex Kis embedded in E!, i s geome ic ealiza ion |K|is a egula iangulable cell complex and he e can be always de ined a di e e en ial ope a o ∂, called bounda y ope a o , wi h coe icien s in he ield Λ, ha comple ely de e mines he singula homology o |K|. The chain complex canonically associa ed o he cell complex Kis he g aded di e en ial ec o space (C∗(K),∂), whe e Cp(K)=Λ[Kp], o all p=0,1,... , and ∂:C∗(K)→C∗−1(K) is he p e ious bounda y ope a o o he cell complex K. Fo ins ance, o ind a bounda y ope a o ∂ o a simplicial complex is s aigh o wa d, bu i is no , in gene al, an easy ask o o he s cell complexes. The ollowing is one o he undamen al esul s in he heo y o CW-complexes. Theo em 1 (Fo man).Le Ka ini e cell complex. The e a e algeb aic bounda y maps ∂p: Cp(K, Λ)→Cp−1(K, Λ), o each p, so ha ∂p−1◦∂p=0and such ha he esul ing di e en- ial complex {Cp(K, Λ),∂p} p=0 calcula es he homology o K. Tha is, i we de ine Hp(C, ∂)= Ke (∂p)/∂p+1(C). In o he wo ds, Hp(C, ∂)∼ =Hp(|K|,Λ). F om now on, a ini e cell complex Kwill be deno ed by (K, ∂), whe e ∂:C∗(K)→C∗−1(K) is he bounda y ope a o o K. 3 Algeb aic Disc e e Mo se Theo y The aim o Disc e e Mo se Theo y is o ind simplicial collapses ha ans o m a complex K o a smalle one. This can be done using an essen ially algeb aic amewo k in which disc e e Mo se unc ions a e con enien ools o keep ack o he collapses, and in which o de hey a e done. Now, we eco e all he algeb aic machine y unde lying in Disc e e Mo se Theo y, es ablishing a new amewo k o dealing wi h special chain complexes associa ed o ini e cell complexes and we show ha a con enien combina o ial ool o sol ing he homological compu a ion p oblem in his a ea is ha o a ee. De ini ion 1. An in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is a g aded module C={Cp}n p=0 endowed wi h wo linea maps: a di e en ial ope a o d:C∗→C∗−1, and an in eg al ope a o (also called algeb aic g adien ec o ield [5] o chain homo opy ope a o [4]) φ:C∗→C∗+1, sa is ying he global nilpo ency p ope ies d◦d=0and φ◦φ=0. An in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is d-pu e ( esp. φ-pu e) i he condi ion d=d◦φ◦d, called homology condi ion ( esp. he condi ion φ=φ◦d◦φ, called s ong de o ma ion e ac condi ion) is sa is ied. An in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ) ha is bo h, d-pu e and φ-pu e, is called homology in eg al chain complex. De ini ion 2. Gi en wo in eg al chain complexes (C, d, φ)and (C#,d #,φ#),amap o in eg al chain complexes ( , g):(C, d, φ)⇒(C#,d #,φ#)is a couple o linea maps :C→C#and g:C#→C such ha ◦d=d#◦ ,g◦d#=d◦g, ◦φ=φ#◦ ,g◦φ#=φ◦g.(C, d, φ)and (C#,d #,φ#) a e in eg al chain equi alen i he e exis s a map o in eg al chain complexes ( , g), such ha id C− ◦g=π(d#,φ#)and idC!−g◦ =π(d, φ). The homology H∗(C, d, φ)o an in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is he g aded abelian g oup H∗(C), such ha (H∗(C),0,0) is in eg al chain equi alen o (C, d, φ). The di e en ial ( esp. in eg al) homology o an in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is he homology o (C, d, 0) ( esp. he homology o (C, 0,φ)). I (C, d, φ)is a homology in eg al-chain complex, hen H∗(C, d, φ)∼H∗(C, d, 0) ∼H∗(C, 0,φ). The se o in eg al chain complexes ( esp. he se o pu e in eg al chain complexes) and hei co esponding maps o m a ca ego y. In ac , he in eg al chain equi alence ela ion can be seen as he na u al ex ension o he classical chain homo opy equi alence be ween chain complexes o he in eg al case (see, o example, [4]). E ec i e Homology [13] is a heo y in which he homology compu a ion p oblem is de e mined in e ms o an explici chain homo opy equi alence be ween a chain complex (C, d) and i s ho- mology. In ac , using ou e minology he e ec i e homology o he chain complex (C, d, 0) can 35 be desc ibed as an algeb aic in eg al ope a o φ, such ha (C, d, φ) is in eg al-chain equi alen o (C, d, 0). On he o he hand, Disc e e Mo se Theo y (DMT, o sho ) gi es a posi i e answe o he p oblem o inding combina o ial chain homo opy ope a o s φ o chain complexes (C∗(K),d) o ini e cell complexes, such ha he in eg al homology o (C∗(K), d, φ) is a “good” app oxima ion (measu ed in e ms o c i ical cells) o i s di e en ial homology. The minimum numbe o c i ical cells in each deg ee is de e mined by he Be i numbe s (weak Mo se inequali ies). The compu a ion o he homology o a chain complex (C, d) is speci ied in e ms o inding an in eg al ope a o φ:C∗→C∗+1, sa is ying he S ong De o ma ion Re ac (SDR o sho ) and homology condi ions wi h ega ds, o he di e en ial ope a o d([7, 8]). The no ion o pu e in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ) is unde lying in he wo k o Se ge ae [13], Fo man [5, 6] and ha o Theo y o Disc e e Di e en ial Fo ms [2]. P oposi ion 1. Le (C, d, φ)an in eg al chain complex. Le π:C∗→C∗be he linea map, (called low o (C, dφ)), de ined by π=idC−d◦φ−φ◦dand le ∆:(C∗,d)→C∗be he linea map, called Laplacian o (C, dφ), de ined by ∆=d◦φ+φ◦d. Then, he ollowing p ope ies holds: (a) d◦π=d−d◦φ◦d=π◦dand φ◦π=φ−φ◦d◦φ=π◦φ. In he case o a homology in eg al chain complex, d◦π= 0 = π◦dand φ◦π= 0 = π◦φ. (b) d◦∆=d◦φ◦d=∆◦dand φ◦∆=φ◦d◦φ=∆◦φ. In he case o a homology in eg al chain complex, d◦∆=d=∆◦dand φ◦∆=φ=∆◦φ. (c) Gi en a p-chain a, we ha e he ollowing equali y a=π(a)+∆(a). (d) π2=π−φ(d−d◦φ◦d)−(d−d◦φ◦d)◦φ=π−d(φ−φ◦d◦φ)−(φ−φ◦d◦φ)d. The in eg al chain complex π(C, d, φ) = (π(C),d|π(C),φπ(C))is he ha monic complex associa ed o (C, d, φ). I (C, d, φ) is a d-pu e o a φ-pu e in eg al chain complex, hen π2=π◦π=π and π(C)={x∈C|x=π(x)}. In o he wo ds, he ha monic complex (π(C),d|π(C),0) associa ed o a pu e in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ) is o med by he π-equi a ian s chains o C. I (C, d, φ) is a homology in eg al chain complex, i s ha monic complex is o he kind (π(C),0,0) and he chain map πdesc ibes o each p-chain a ep esen a i e cycle o he di e en ial ( esp. in eg al) homology class associa ed o his p-chain. (e) ∆2=(d+φ)∆(d+φ). The in eg al chain complex ∆(C, d, φ)=(∆(C),d|∆(C),φ|∆(C)) is he Laplacian complex associa ed o (C, d, φ). I (C, d, φ) is a d-pu e o φ-pu e in eg al chain complex, hen ∆◦∆=∆and ∆(C)={x∈C|x=∆(x)}. In o he wo ds, he Laplacian complex ∆(C, d, φ) associa ed o a pu e in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ) is o med by all he ∆-equi a ian s chains. ( ) π◦∆=(d−d◦φ◦d)◦φ+φ◦(d−d◦φ◦d)=d(φ−φ◦d◦φ)+(φ−φ◦d◦φ)d=∆π. P oposi ion 2. I (C, d, φ)is a (di e en ial o in eg al) pu e in eg al-chain complex, we can de i e he ollowing p ope ies: (p1) π◦∆= 0 = ∆◦π. (p2) (C, d, φ)=π(C, d, φ)⊕∆(C, d, φ)as in eg al-chain complexes. In pa icula , Ke ∆=π(C) and ∆(C) = Ke π. (p3) ∆(C)=φ(C)⊕d◦φ)(C)as g aded modules. In o de o emphasize he dependency o πand ∆wi h ega ds dand φ, we will deno e hese maps by π(d,φ)and ∆(d,φ), espec i ely. The ollowing p oposi ion will be undamen al in de eloping an in eg al-chain amewo k o Disc e e Mo se Theo y. In ac , i shows ha o use pu e in eg al ope a o s as chain homo opies decomposing a ini ely gene a ed chain complexes is a key poin : 36 P oposi ion 3. I (C, d, φ)is a (di e en ial o in eg al) pu e in eg al-chain complex, we ha e ha Ke φ∼ =π(C)⊕φ(C)∼ =Ke ∆(C)⊕φ(C) as g aded modules. In pa icula , a map o in eg al-chain complexes ( , g) sa is y ha ◦π(d,φ)=π(d!,φ!) ,g◦ π(d!,φ!)=π(d,φ)◦g, ◦∆(d,φ)=∆(d!,φ!)◦ and g◦∆(d!,φ!)=∆(d,φ)◦g. Tha is, and ga e compa ible wi h ega ds o he espec i e lows and Laplacians. In spi e o i s simplici y, he ollowing esul is essen ial o de eloping ou homological heo y o in eg al-chain complexes: Lemma 1. [In eg al-Chain Lemma] An in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is in eg al-chain equi - alen o i s ha monic complex π(C, d, φ). This las ha monic complex π(C, d, φ)is o he o m (π(C),d π,φπ)whe e dπ(π(x)) = (d−d◦φ◦d)(x)and φπ(π(x)) = (φ−φ◦d◦φ)(x). P oo . Le :C→π(C) be he linea map de ined by (x)=π(x), ∀x∈C∗. Le g:π(C)→C be he linea map de ined by g(x)=x,∀x∈π(C). Then, i is a simple exe cice o show ha ( , g) is a couple o maps o in eg al chain complexes which induces he in eg al-chain equi alence. The es o asse ions can be di ec ly deduced om P oposi ion 1 (a). ! Co olla y 1. The ha monic complex π(C, d, φ)associa ed o a d-pu e ( esp. φ-pu e) in eg al-chain complex (C, d, φ)is o he o m (π(C),0,φπ)( esp. (π(C),d π,0)), whe e φπ(π(x)) = (φ−φ◦φ◦)(x) ( esp. dπ(π(x)) = (d−d◦φ◦d)(x)). Now, we gi e some de ini ions ela ed o in eg al-chain pe u ba ion o complexes. De ini ion 3. An in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is called di e en ial ( esp. in eg al poin wise nilpo en ) i o any a∈C he e is some n(a)∈Nwi h d(1 −d◦φ−φ◦d)n(a)=0( esp. wi h φ(1 −d◦φ−φ◦d)n(a)=0). The smalles alue o n(a)is e e ed o as he deg ee o di e en ial ( esp. in eg al) nilpo ency o a. P oposi ion 4 (Fo man).Gi en an in eg al ( esp. di e en ial) poin wise nilpo en in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ)is in eg al chain equi alen o a φ-pu e ( esp. d-pu e) in eg al chain complex (C, d, ˜ φ)( esp. (C, ˜ d, φ)). P oo . We only p o e he exis ence o he φ-pu e in eg al chain complex (C, d, ˜ φ). The o he esul can be de i ed di ec ly om he ac ha (C, φ,d) is also a poin wise nilpo en in eg al- chain complex. De ine ˜ φ:C∗→C∗+1 by ˜ φ=#k≥0φ◦(1−d◦φ)k. This is well de ined due o he poin wise nilpo ency o (C, d, φ), since all bu ini ely many e ms anish on he igh hand side. The map ˜ φis 2-nilpo en (˜ φ◦˜ φ= 0) and sa is ies he SDR p ope y ˜ φ◦d◦˜ φ=˜ φ. The couple o maps (π(d, ˜ φ),idC) es ablish he in eg al chain equi alence be ween (C, d, φ) and (C, d, ˜ φ). ! Finally, we de ine he composi ion o an in eg al-chain complex. De ini ion 4. Gi en a d-pu e ( esp. wo φ-pu e) in eg al-chain complexes (C, d, φ)and a di e - en ial ope a o d#sa is ying he homology condi ion ( esp. an in eg al ope a o φ#sa is ying he s ong de o ma ion e ac condi ion) o π(d,φ)(C), a new d-pu e ( esp. φ-pu e) in eg al chain complex (C, d +d#◦π(d,φ),φ)( esp. (C, d, φ+φ#◦π(d,φ))) can be cons uc ed. This new in eg al chain complex is called composi ion o (C, d, φ)by φ#.Ad-pu e in eg al chain complex (C, d, φ) can su e composi ion wi h ega ds o he own di e en ial ope a o d( esp. wi h ega d o he own in eg al ope a o φ) es ic ed o π(d,φ)(C). F om now on, all he in eg al chain complexes we conside in he pape will be in eg al poin wise nilpo en s. Analogous esul s can be de e mined o di e en ial poin wise nilpo en . In he nex sec ion, we de ine some no ions in o de o do he link wi h he algeb aic wo k unde lying in Disc e e Mo se Theo y. 37 4 Disc e e Mo se Theo y and op imali y Disc e e Mo se Theo y gi es a posi i e answe o he p oblem o inding combina o ial chain homo opy ope a o s φ o chain complexes (C∗(K),d) o ini e cell complexes, such ha i s in eg al homology H(C, 0,φ) is a “good” app oxima ion o i s di e en ial one H(C, d, 0). Using Pe sis en Homology [3] Be i numbe s can be g adually de e mined om a il e ed chain complex. We will show he e ha Homological Pe u ba ion Theo y can be used as a ool o eaching in e es ing combina o ial esul s in DMT ( o example, abou g adien pa hs). Mo e p ecisely, he homology o a chain complex (C, d) can be speci ied in DMT in e ms o inding a combina o ial in eg al ope a o φ:C∗→C∗+1 de i ed om disc e e Mo se unc ions and sa is ying he SDR condi ion wi h ega ds, o he di e en ial ope a o d. De ini ion 5. Le (K, ∂)a ini e cell complex. An ope a o :C∗(K)→C∗± (K)is said o be combina o ial i ∀p-cell σ(p), (σ(p))=λβ (p± ), whe e λ∈Zand βis a (p± )−cell. Tha is, in DMT we sea ch o a combina o ial ope a o φsuch ha (C(K), d, φ) is a φ-pu e in eg al-chain complex. Gi en a cell complex K, he in eg al-chain complex canonically associa ed o Kis (C(K),∂,)), whe e ∂is he bounda y o di e en ial ope a o o C∗(K) and ):C∗(K)→C∗+1(K) is he cobounda y ope a o de ined by )(α(p))=Σ<∂β,α>β, whe e he sum is aken o all he cells β(p+1), such ha a∈∂(β) (i.e. apa icipa es in a non-null manne in he linea combina ion ∂(β)). In DMT, we sea ch o a combina o ial ope a o φwhich can be de i ed (choosing one summand in he o mula o ) o each cell) such ha he numbe o c i ical cells in (C(K),∂,φ) is minimal. Now, we gi e some basic no ions o DMT wi h some sligh ly modi ica ions and wi hou using, in p inciple, disc e e Mo se unc ions. De ini ion 6. [5, 6] A combina o ial in eg al ope a o Vde ined on a cell complex Kis a collec ion o disjoin pai s o (non-necesa ly inciden ) cells {α(p)<β(p+1)}. I he pai s a e cons i u ed by inciden cells hen, Vis called combina o ial ec o ield. We will ep esen a combina o ial ec o ield by an a ow om he cell o lowe dimension o i s pai ed cell o highe dimension. A combina o ial ec o ield can be seen as a pa ial ma ching in he Hasse diag am o K.AV-pa h o g adien pa h γis an al e na ing sequence o cells a(p) 0,b (p±1) 0,a (p) 1,b (p±1) 1,a (p) 2, . . ., such ha o each pai o consecu i e simplices, one is a maximal ace o he o he , and he ollowing condi ion is sa is ied: one o he couples {a(p) i<b (p±1) i}o {b(p±1) i<a (p) i+1}belongs o V,∀i≥0. I he inal cell in he g adien pa h γabo e is α(p) , hen we say ha γhas leng h . I i ends wi h β(p±1) hen we say ha γhas leng h 1 2. I he cells bio he g adien pa h γa e o dimension p+1 and i has leng h 1 2, he g adien pa h γis called uppe V- pa h o uppe g adien pa h. Fo any cells aand b, le Γ(a, b)deno e he se o g adien pa hs om a o b(o any leng h), i.e., such ha he i s cell in he sequence is aand he las cell in he sequence is b.AV-pa h is non i ial and closed i ≥1and he i s and las cells in he sequence a e he same. A closed V-pa h is jus an o ien ed ci cui in he Hasse diag am. A cell αis a c i ical cell o Vi i is no pai ed wi h any o he cell in V. The numbe o c i ical cell depends on he disc e e g adien ec o ield conside ed. Fo man p o ed [5, 6] ha he opology o a disc e e mani old is ela ed o he c i ical elemen s o a disc e e unc ion de ined on i , micmicking he esul s o Mo se in he smoo h case. In [10], he p oblem o he op imali y (minimizing he numbe o c i ical cells o combina o ial ec o ields) on a 2-mani old is analyzed using Hasse diag am and hype g aph ools. The e o e, a disc e e g adien ec o ield is a special kind o combina o ial in eg al ope a o . Fi s , he combina o ial in eg al ope a o s de i ed om combina o ial ec o ields a e φ- poin wise nilpo en . P oposi ion 5. A combina o ial ec o ield Vgi es ise o a φ-poin wise nilpo en in eg al-chain complex (C(K), d, V ). 38 Le us emphasize ha wo pai s {a, b}and {a#,b #}o Vha e no elemen s in common. The combina o ial ec o iel Vgi es ise o a linea map V:C∗(K)→C∗+1(K), de ined by V(a)=b i {a, b}∈Vand V(a) = 0, in he es o cells. I is clea ha V◦V= 0. The map Vis an in eg al ope a o o C∗(K). To p o e ha (C(K), d, V ) is φ-poin wise in eg al-chain complex is s aigh o wa d. ! Combining P op. 1, P op. 2 and P op. 3, we asse he ollowing esul which is he key o ein e p e ing DMT in in eg al-chain e ms: P oposi ion 6. I (C, d, φ)is a φ-poin wise nilpo en in eg al-chain complex being φa combina- o ial ec o ield, hen he e is an in eg al-chain equi alen φ-pu e complex (C, d, ˜ φ), such ha i s ha monic complex π(C, d, ˜ φ) = ( Ke ˜ φ ˜ φ(C),d π,0). This las in eg al-chain complex is con- s i u ed by ini e linea combina ions o he di e en c i ical cells o φand dπcan be seen as he bounda y ope a o o he co esponding cell complex de e mined by he c i ical cells, also called ha monic Mo se cell complex M(C, d, φ)associa ed o (C, d, φ). Analogously, he Laplacian com- plex ∆(C, d, ˜ φ)can be seen as he acyclic chain complex o he cell complex M(C, d, φ), also called Laplacian Mo se complex associa ed o (C, d, φ). Mo eo e , i s bounda y ope a o ∂Mis de e - mined by ∂M(∆(σ(p))) = d◦˜ φ◦d(σ(p)),∀σ(p)∈C. P oo . Due o P op. 3 and P op. 1 and de ining ˜ φ:C∗→C∗+1 by ˜ φ=# k=0 φ◦(1 −d◦φ)k= # k=0(1 −φ◦d)kφ, we ha e ha ( , g) : Ke ˜ φ ˜ φ(C)∼ =π(C, d, ˜ φ) is an isomo phism o chain complexes, wi h : Ke ˜ φ ˜ φ(C)→π(C, d, ˜ φ) and g:π(C, d, ˜ φ)→ Ke ˜ φ ˜ φ(C) espec i ely de ined by (σ)=π(d, ˜ φ)(σ)=σ−˜ φ◦d(σ), ∀σ∈: Ke ˜ φ ˜ φ(C) and g(π(d, ˜ φ))(β)) = β−d◦˜ φ(β), ∀β∈C. Now, le us p o e ha Ke ˜ φ= Ke φand ˜ φ(C)=φ(C). I is clea ha Ke φ⊂Ke ˜ φ. Le x∈Ke ˜ φbe an elemen such ha x/∈Ke φ. Tha means ha # k=0 π(d, φ)k(x)∈Ke φ. Tha implies ha φ(1 −π +1)(x)=φ(d◦φ+φ◦d)◦ $# k=0 π(d, φ)k%(x) = 0 and, hen φ(x)=φπ +1(x) = 0. In a simila manne , i is possible o deduce ha ˜ φ(C)=φ(C) and ha i also admi s a combina o ial basis. Le us now p o e ha he chain complex (˜ φ(C)⊕(d◦˜ φ)(C),d) is acyclic. We ha e ha d(˜ φ(C)) ⊂(d◦˜ φ)(C) and d((d◦˜ φ))(C) = 0. Now, le us suppose ha he e is a chain x= x#+x## ∈˜ φ(C)⊕(d◦˜ φ)(C) such ha d(x) = 0. This means ha d(x#) = 0. Since x#=˜ φ(z), hen (d◦˜ φ)(z) = 0. Due o he ac ha he in eg al ope a o sa is y he SDR condi ion ˜ φ◦d◦˜ φ=˜ φ, we conclude ha x#= 0. Finally, he bounda y ope a o o M(C, d, φ) is he di e en ial ope a o d es ic ed o i and i s acyclici y can be p o ed using P op. 3. ! Le us no e ha H∗(M(C, d, φ)) ∼ =H∗(K, Λ). Mo eo e , he bounda y ope a o dπo he Mo se cell complex M(C, d, φ) ha e a clea in e p e a ion in e ms o g adien pa hs o ˜ φ. P oposi ion 7. In he condi ions o P op. 6, and gi en a p-cell α,˜ φ(α)is an uppe g adien φ-pa h. In [12, 1], a homology in eg al ope a o φis de e mined om a il e ed cell complex using an inc emen al echnique. The homology in eg al ope a o φgi es ise in a na u al way o a combina o ial in eg al unc ion on K. Using spanning homological o es s echniques [11] and cancella ion–like heo ems [6] in ol ing g adien pa hs, we can conclude ha ob aining a combi- na o ial ec o ield on Kis s aigh o wa d. 39 5 Conclusions In his pape “homological o es s” a e p esen ed as an use ul ool owa ds he op imalli y o a combina o ial g adien ec o ield de ined o e a ini e cell complex. Rela ions be ween E ec i e Homology echniques and Disc e e Mo se Theo y ha e been es ablished, and a common dic iona y o e ms has been de ined. This algeb aic amewo k allows us o ensu e he “ educ ion” o he ini ial complex o i s minimal homological exp ession. 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