The anti-spherical category

Abstract

We study a diagrammatic categorification (the "anti-spherical category") of the anti-spherical module for any Coxeter group. We deduce that Deodhar's (sign) parabolic Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials have non-negative coefficients, and that a monotonicity conjecture of Brenti's holds. The main technical observation is a localisation procedure for the anti-spherical category, from which we construct a "light leaves" basis of morphisms. Our techniques may be used to calculate many new elements of the $p$-canonical basis in the anti-spherical module.