On cluster algebras arising from unpunctured surfaces

Ralf Schiffler, Hugh Thomas

Published 2007-12-26, updated 2008-02-27Version 2

We study cluster algebras that are associated to unpunctured surfaces with coefficients arising from boundary arcs. We give a direct formula for the Laurent polynomial expansion of cluster variables in these cluster algebras in terms of certain paths on a triangulation of the surface. As an immediate consequence, we prove the positivity conjecture of Fomin and Zelevinsky for these cluster algebras. In the special case where the cluster algebra is acyclic, we also give a formula for the expansion of cluster variables as a polynomial whose indeterminates are the cluster variables contained in the union of an arbitrary acyclic cluster and all its neighbouring clusters in the mutation graph.