Extensions of partial cyclic orders and consecutive coordinate polytopes

Abstract

We introduce several classes of polytopes contained in $[0,1]^n$ and cut out by inequalities involving sums of consecutive coordinates. We show that the normalized volumes of these polytopes enumerate circular extensions of certain partial cyclic orders. Among other things this gives a new point of view on a question popularized by Stanley. We also provide a combinatorial interpretation of the Ehrhart $h^*$-polynomials of some of these polytopes in terms of descents of total cyclic orders. The Euler numbers, the Eulerian numbers and the Narayana numbers appear as special cases.