Flows on Simplicial Complexes

Matthias Beck, Yvonne Kemper

Published 2012-06-11Version 1

Given a graph $G$, the number of nowhere-zero $\ZZ_q$-flows $\phi_G(q)$ is known to be a polynomial in $q$. We extend the definition of nowhere-zero $\ZZ_q$-flows to simplicial complexes $\Delta$ of dimension greater than one, and prove the polynomiality of the corresponding function $\phi_{\Delta}(q)$ for certain $q$ and certain subclasses of simplicial complexes.