structurespolynomial

Structurespolynomial is a polynomial invariant associated with a finite mathematical structure, intended to capture aspects of its internal composition by counting substructures. The term is used across combinatorics and algebra to denote a polynomial whose coefficients reflect the number of subobjects or configurations that meet a chosen criterion. A structurespolynomial depends on a selected family of substructures and a statistic.

Construction: Given a finite structure S (such as a graph, poset, or algebra) and a family F of substructures of S, together with a statistic g that assigns an integer to each member of F, the structurespolynomial is P_S(t) = sum_{T in F} w(T) t^{g(T)}, where w(T) is a weight, often 1. Examples include counting connected induced subgraphs by the number of vertices, or counting subalgebras by dimension. Different choices yield different polynomials that encode various structural features.

Interpretation and use: The polynomial provides a compact summary of the distribution of a chosen substructure type within S. Evaluations at specific t or comparing polynomials across objects can reveal similarities, differences, or asymptotic behavior in families of structures. In some settings, structurespolynomials relate to generating functions, Hilbert series, or other graph polynomials, sharing the goal of recording combinatorial or algebraic structure in a single algebraic object.

See also: generating function, chromatic polynomial, Tutte polynomial, Hilbert series, cycle index, substructure counting.