Polynomial reconstruction problem for hypergraphs

Abstract

We show that, in general, the characteristic polynomial of a hypergraph is not determined by its “polynomial deck”, the multiset of characteristic polynomials of its vertex-deleted subgraphs, thus settling the “polynomial reconstruction problem” for hypergraphs in the negative. The proof proceeds by showing that a construction due to Kocay of an infinite family of pairs of 3-uniform hypergraphs which are non-isomorphic but share the same hypergraph deck, in fact, have different characteristic polynomials. The question remains unresolved for ordinary graphs.