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Introduction to Simplicial Complexes

This document defines and provides examples of simplices and simplicial complexes. It begins by explaining that simplices are certain simple subsets of Euclidean space, with a 0-simplex being a point, a 1-simplex a line segment, a 2-simplex a triangle, and a 3-simplex a solid tetrahedron. It then provides formal definitions of simplices, faces of simplices, and geometric simplicial complexes. A geometric simplicial complex is a set of simplices such that the faces of each simplex are contained in the set and the intersection of any two simplices is a face of each or empty. It concludes by introducing abstract simplicial complexes, which ignore the geometric positioning of simplices

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52 views9 pages

Introduction to Simplicial Complexes

This document defines and provides examples of simplices and simplicial complexes. It begins by explaining that simplices are certain simple subsets of Euclidean space, with a 0-simplex being a point, a 1-simplex a line segment, a 2-simplex a triangle, and a 3-simplex a solid tetrahedron. It then provides formal definitions of simplices, faces of simplices, and geometric simplicial complexes. A geometric simplicial complex is a set of simplices such that the faces of each simplex are contained in the set and the intersection of any two simplices is a face of each or empty. It concludes by introducing abstract simplicial complexes, which ignore the geometric positioning of simplices

Uploaded by

mobius
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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AMAT 584 Lecture 2 1 24 20

Simplicial Completes references Edelsbrunner Harer


Generalizations of graphs Munkres Elements of
Algebraic Topology
Illustrations Blumberg Rabadan

em
on0
I h
Simplices are certain simple subsets of IR

A O simplex is a point
A 1 simpler is a line segment 4
A 2 simplex is a triangle Id
A 3 simplex is a solid tetrahedron 47

To give the precise definition of a simplex we will


need a few preliminary notions
First To motivate what follows let's consider
the following simple question

Question Given lily c IR how do we describe


the line segment L connecting I and I as a set
Y
Answer
I
KEI tcuixslu.co D
o D
Iii

n
A subset 5421 is called a linearsubspace if it is the solution
set to a linear equation AT 0 A is a matrix

Geometrically a linear subspace is flat doesn't curve


and passes through the origin

subspace
spa
µ
gub

An affine subspace of IR is the solution set to an


equation AT sb CA is a motif b is a vector

Geometrically has the same shape as a linear


subspace but needn't pass through the origin

That is an affine subspace is a translation


of a linear subspace

I
s

L
Def AsetX of K points in Rh is said to be in
general position if X does not lie on
any
4 2 dimensional affine subspace

For example 3 points in


1123
are in general position if
they don't all line on a single line

General Position Not in generalposition

Tour points in 1123 are in general position if they don't lie on a


plane
For X E In 34127 the convex hell of X
is the set

Conv X GI tax at Is t ten In each 430and


fist
Theconvex hull of single point is the singletar set
a

containg only that point

The convex hull of two points is the linesegment connecting


them
in
The convex hull of three points in general position is the
triangle with these points as vertices
Damn
The convex hull of four points in general position
is a solid tetrahedron with these points
qq.IT as vertices

Definition A E simplex is the convex hull


of a set of Kt 1 points in general position

If Xo t u are in general position we write the


XO
associated simplex as Ko MD
I'll sometimes call this the simplexspanned by to tk Xi
Rf
htt Exo a a
1

Definition A fate of a simplex Xo Xk


is the simplex spanned by a non
empty
subset of Xi Ek

Ex are
oaaaBoEB.cEa.sgess.Ecs9ns.d
j.Da

AB EB C CA C
AB C

Dsefuinnition
A Geometric simplical complex is a set 5 of
polices in IR for some fixed n such that
each face of a simplex in S is contained in 5
12
The intersection of two simplices in X is a
face of each of them if nonempty

Let A B CD c 1122
Etample_p.Yyg ooDbeass.h on

This illustrates the simplicial complex


LA CB K ED A B CA G EB CT CADT CA BD

Z
Example For A B E 1122 as shown
A CAT CAB isnet a simplical
property 1 is violated
Comptex
O
B

Example For A B C DE 1122 as shown


A B
CAT LB KJ EDT CA DT CBC
complex property 2
is nitated.simplial
C D

Definition For S a simplicial complex we call the


f the simplices in 5 the geometric realization
of S and denote this 151

Abstract Simplicial Complexes

Motivation It turns out that


up to homeomorphism
ISI doesn't depend on the position of the O simplice
of S

I
examples
io D.Ii.BnjT
1st 451 Recall that I means is homeomorphicto

Let's make this precise

Proposition Let S and S be


simplicialcomplexes and suppose there is a
bijection f from the O simplices of S to the
O simplices of S such That

to xD c S iff f Cto Fct ES

Then 1st IS't


Def simplicial complet on a set 5 is
an abstract

a collection 8 of non subsets suchthat


empty finite
if TEX and to co then TES

The subsets of size KH are called k simplices


of X
The simplex ao ak is written ceo ak

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