Morse and Lusternik-Schnirelmann for graphs

Abstract

Both Morse theory and Lusternik-Schnirelmann theory link algebra, topology and analysis in a geometric setting. The two theories can be formulated in finite geometries like graph theory or within finite abstract simplicial complexes. We work here mostly in graph theory and review the Morse inequalities b(k)-b(k-1) + ... + b(0) less of equal than c(k)-c(k-1) + ... + c(0) for the Betti numbers b(k) and the minimal number c(k) of Morse critical points of index k and the Lusternik-Schnirelmann inequalities cup+1 less or equal than cat less or equal than cri, between the algebraic cup length cup, the topological category cat and the analytic number cri counting the minimal number of critical points of a function.