## Computing the Ehrhart quasi-polynomial of a rational simplex.(English)Zbl 1093.52009

To a rational polytope $$P \subset {\mathbb R}^d$$ (i.e., the convex hull of finitely many points in $${\mathbb Q}^d$$), we associate the integer-point counting function $$L_P(t) := \# (tP \cap {\mathbb Z}^d)$$, defined for positive integers $$t$$. E. Ehrhart’s central theorem [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 254, 616–618 (1962; Zbl 0100.27601)] asserts that $$L_P$$ is a quasi-polynomial in $$t$$, i.e., $$L_P$$ is of the form $L_P(t) = c_n(t) t^d + c_{ n-1 }(t) t^{ n-1 } + \cdots + c_1(t) \, t + c_0(t),$ where $$c_0, c_1, \dots, c_n$$ are periodic functions of $$t$$. If $$P$$ is an integral polytope, i.e., the vertices of $$P$$ are in $${\mathbb Z}^d$$, then the period of $$c_0, c_1, \dots, c_n$$ is one, i.e., $$L_P$$ is a polynomial.
Regarding the computational complexity of $$L_P$$, a fundamental theorem of A. I. Barvinok [Math. Oper. Res. 19, No. 4, 769–779 (1994; Zbl 0821.90085)] states that in fixed dimension, the rational generating function $$\sum_{ t \geq 0 } L_P(t) x^t$$ can be computed in time polynomial in the input data of $$P$$. (If the dimension is not fixed, it is already an NP-hard problem to check whether there is an integer point in $$P$$, even if $$P$$ is a rational simplex.) Barvinok’s theorem implies that for an integral $$d$$-simplex $$\Delta$$, we can compute the first $$k$$ coefficients of the Ehrhart polynomial $$L_\Delta$$ in polynomial time if we fix $$k$$ and let $$d$$ vary.
In the paper under review, Barvinok extends this result to the rational case. More precisely, the main theorem is as follows: For a fixed integer $$k \geq 0$$, there exists a polynomial-time algorithm that, given any integer $$d \geq k$$, a rational simplex $$\Delta \subset {\mathbb R}^d$$, and an integer $$j \geq 0$$, computes the value of $$c_{ d-k } (j)$$. The underlying algorithm is based on a structural result that relates $$c_{ d-k } (j)$$ to volumes of sections of $$\Delta$$ by affine lattice subspaces parallel to faces of $$\Delta$$ of dimension $$\geq d-k$$.

### MSC:

 52C07 Lattices and convex bodies in $$n$$ dimensions (aspects of discrete geometry) 05A15 Exact enumeration problems, generating functions 68R05 Combinatorics in computer science

### Citations:

Zbl 0100.27601; Zbl 0821.90085

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### References:

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