Poincare Hopf for vector fields on graphs

Oliver Knill

Published 2019-11-11Version 1

We generalize the Poincare-Hopf theorem sum_v i(v) = X(G) to vector fields on a finite simple graph (V,E) with Whitney complex G. To do so, we define a directed simplicial complex as a finite abstract simplicial complex equipped with a bundle map F: G to V telling which vertex T(x) in x dominates the simplex x. The index i(v) of a vertex v is defined as X(F^-1(v)), where X is the Euler characteristic. We get a flow by adding a section map F: V to G. The resulting map T on G is a discrete model for a differential equation x'=F(x) on a compact manifold. Examples of directed complexes are defined by Whitney complexes defined by digraphs with no cyclic triangles or gradient fields on finite simple graphs defined by a locally injective function. The result extends to simplicial complexes equipped with an energy function H:G to Z that implements a divisor. The index sum is then the total energy.