A Plethora of Polynomials: A Toolbox for Counting Problems

TL;DR

This paper explores the polynomial-like behavior of counting functions for integer points in geometric and logical structures, providing a comprehensive framework and theorems to understand when such behavior occurs.

Contribution

It introduces a unifying framework and broad theorems that explain polynomial-like counting behavior across diverse combinatorial and geometric problems.

Findings

Counting functions often exhibit polynomial-like behavior

The paper provides broad theorems characterizing when polynomial behavior occurs

A toolbox for analyzing counting problems in combinatorics and geometry

Abstract

A wide variety of problems in combinatorics and discrete optimization depend on counting the set $S$ of integer points in a polytope, or in some more general object constructed via discrete geometry and first-order logic. We take a tour through numerous problems of this type. In particular, we consider families of such sets $S_t$ depending on one or more integer parameters $t$, and analyze the behavior of the function $f(t)=|S_t|$. In the examples that we investigate, this function exhibits surprising polynomial-like behavior. We end with two broad theorems detailing settings where this polynomial-like behavior must hold. The plethora of examples illustrates the framework in which this behavior occurs and also gives an intuition for many of the proofs, helping us create a toolbox for counting problems like these.