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Abstract:Let $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$ be the MacNeille completion of the Bruhat order of a Coxeter group $W$. We introduce an action of the $0$-Hecke monoid of type $W$ on $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$, which allows us to define a weak order and a descent set statistic on $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$. When $W$ is of type $A$, we recover constructions of Hamaker and Reiner, which were originally formulated in terms of monotone triangles and alternating sign matrices. Using this action, we prove that certain unions of Knutson--Miller subword complexes are vertex-decomposable. By specializing to type $A$, we prove a conjecture of Escobar, Klein, and Weigandt regarding Cohen--Macaulay ASM varieties. Along the way, we also exhibit a counterexample to a conjecture of Hamaker and Reiner regarding the poset topology of intervals in the ASM weak order. When $W$ is finite, our action also gives rise to a Boolean cell complex with one facet for each element of $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$. We prove that this is an abstract simplicial complex and that every linear extension of the weak order on $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$ is a shelling order for its facets. Finally, when $W$ is finite and irreducible, we use our $0$-Hecke action to introduce a noninvertible dynamical system on $\mathrm{Mac}(W)$ that we call the \emph{MacNeille pop-stack operator}, and we prove that the maximum number of iterations of this operator needed to reach the bottom state is $h-1$, where $h$ is the Coxeter number of $W$.
This article is meant to serve as a case study in using large language models to automate the workflow of mathematical research. The proof of the conjecture of Escobar--Klein--Weigandt and the disproof of the conjecture of Hamaker--Reiner were obtained autonomously by ChatGPT 5.4 Pro. Other aspects of the paper were obtained mostly by the author, but ChatGPT expedited the process. We provide a detailed account of this interaction.

Submission history

From: Colin Defant [view email]
[v1] Fri, 8 May 2026 17:23:19 UTC (151 KB)
[v2] Sun, 6 Sep 2026 14:26:56 UTC (152 KB)