Toric rings and ideals of stable set polytopes

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the normality of the toric rings of stable set polytopes, and the set of generators and Gr\"obner bases of toric ideals of stable set polytopes by using the results on that of edge polytopes of finite nonsimple graphs. In particular, for a graph of stability number two, we give a graph theoretical characterization of the set of generators of the toric ideal of the stable set polytope, and a criterion to check whether the toric ring of the stable set polytope is normal or not. One of the application of the results is an infinite family of stable set polytopes whose toric ideal is generated by quadratic binomials and has no quadratic Gr\"obner bases.