Matching Polynomials And Duality

Let G be a simple graph on n vertices. An r-matching in G is a set of r independent edges. The number of r-matchings in G will be denoted by p(G,r). We set p(G,0)=1 and define the matching polynomial of G by μ(G,x):= ∑bn/2c r=0 (−1)·p(G,r)·x and the signless matching polynomial of G by μ(G,x):= ∑bn/2c r=0 p(G,r)·x. It is classical that the matching polynomials of a graph G determine the matching polynomials of its complement G. We make this statement more explicit by proving new duality theorems by the generating function method for set functions. In particular, we show that the matching functions e 2/2μ(G,x) and e 2/2μ(G,x) are, up to a sign, real Fourier transforms of each other. Moreover, we generalize Foata’s combinatorial proof of the Mehler formula for Hermite polynomials to matching polynomials. This provides a new short proof of the classical fact that all zeros of μ(G,x) are real. The same statement is also proved for a common generalization of the matching polynomial and the rook polynomial.