Integer decomposition property of dilated polytopes

Abstract

Let $\mathcal{P} \subset \mathbb{R}^N$ be an integral convex polytope of dimension $d$ and write $k \mathcal{P}$, where $k = 1, 2, \ldots$, for dilations of $\mathcal{P}$. We say that $\mathcal{P}$ possesses the integer decomposition property if, for any integer $k = 1, 2, \ldots$ and for any $\alpha \in k \mathcal{P} \cap \mathbb{Z}^N$, there exist $\alpha_{1}, \ldots, \alpha_k$ belonging to $\mathcal{P} \cap \mathbb{Z}^N$ such that $\alpha = \alpha_1 + \cdots + \alpha_k$. A fundamental question is to determine the integers $k > 0$ for which the dilated polytope $k\mathcal{P}$ possesses the integer decomposition property. In the present paper, combinatorial invariants related to the integer decomposition property of dilated polytopes will be proposed and studied.