Explicit Construction of Polytopes whose Ehrhart Polynomials Realize any Given Sign Pattern

Abstract

In Ehrhart theory, the well-known sign pattern problem asks: given a positive integer $d\geq 3$ and integers $1 \leq i_1 < \cdots < i_k \leq d-2$, does there exist a $d$-dimensional integral polytope $\mathcal{P}$ such that in its Ehrhart polynomial $i(\mathcal{P}, t)$ the coefficients of $t^{i_1}, \ldots, t^{i_k}$ are negative, while all remaining coefficients are positive? This problem was proposed by Hibi, Higashitani, Tsuchiya, and Yoshida. In this paper, we first construct a class of simplices $\mathcal{S}_d(m)$ whose Ehrhart polynomial has leading coefficient $m$ and all other coefficients fixed positive constants. Then, using the Cartesian product of $\mathcal{S}_d(m)$ and the Reeve tetrahedron, we obtain the first complete solution to the sign pattern problem. Finally, while attacking the sign pattern problem, we discovered a fast algorithm for computing the $h^*$-polynomial of a class of simplices $Δ(0,q)$. This algorithm is crucial for constructing the simplices $\mathcal{S}_d(m)$.