Linear recurrences for non-log-concave independence polynomials of trees

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Main Authors: Bautista-Ramos, César, Guillén-Galván, Carlos, Gómez-Salgado, Paulino
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Bautista-Ramos, César
Guillén-Galván, Carlos
Gómez-Salgado, Paulino
author_facet Bautista-Ramos, César
Guillén-Galván, Carlos
Gómez-Salgado, Paulino
contents We identify a structural pattern in the construction of known infinite families of trees whose independence polynomials are not log-concave. Using this pattern and properties of polynomial ring ideals, we derive linear recurrences for these polynomials. As a consequence, we prove that the set of non-isolated limit points of their zeros lies on the circle $|z+1/3|=1/3$ in the complex plane. Building on these recurrences, we also exhibit infinite families of trees whose independence polynomials break log-concavity at one, two, and three consecutive indices, as well as finite families that break log-concavity at four and five consecutive indices. Our approach suggests that arbitrarily many consecutive breaks may be achievable, offering further insight into a question posed by Galvin [D. Galvin, Trees with non log-concave independent set sequences, arXiv:2502.10654v1, 2025].
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_14204
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Linear recurrences for non-log-concave independence polynomials of trees
Bautista-Ramos, César
Guillén-Galván, Carlos
Gómez-Salgado, Paulino
Combinatorics
05C69, 05C31, 05A20 (Primary) 30C15 (Secondary)
We identify a structural pattern in the construction of known infinite families of trees whose independence polynomials are not log-concave. Using this pattern and properties of polynomial ring ideals, we derive linear recurrences for these polynomials. As a consequence, we prove that the set of non-isolated limit points of their zeros lies on the circle $|z+1/3|=1/3$ in the complex plane. Building on these recurrences, we also exhibit infinite families of trees whose independence polynomials break log-concavity at one, two, and three consecutive indices, as well as finite families that break log-concavity at four and five consecutive indices. Our approach suggests that arbitrarily many consecutive breaks may be achievable, offering further insight into a question posed by Galvin [D. Galvin, Trees with non log-concave independent set sequences, arXiv:2502.10654v1, 2025].
title Linear recurrences for non-log-concave independence polynomials of trees
topic Combinatorics
05C69, 05C31, 05A20 (Primary) 30C15 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.14204