Polytopal complexes: maps, chain complexes and... necklaces
Abstract
The notion of polytopal map between two polytopal complexes is defined. This definition is quite simple and extends naturally those of simplicial and cubical maps. It is then possible to define an induced chain map between the associated chain complexes. One uses this new tool to give the first combinatorial proof of the splitting necklace theorem of Alon. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.