Real-rootedness of the $\tau$-polynomial under graph joins

Abstract

For a simple graph $G$ with $n$ vertices, write its chromatic polynomial in the rising factorial basis as $$ \chi_G(x)=\sum_{i=0}^{n}(-1)^{n-i}c_i(G)\langle x\rangle_i,$$ where $ \langle x\rangle_i=x(x+1)\cdots(x+i-1).$ The associated $\tau$-polynomial $$ \tau_G(x)=\sum_{i=0}^{n}c_i(G)x^i $$ was defined and systematically investigated by Brenti in 1992. In this paper, we prove that if the $\tau$-polynomials of two vertex-disjoint simple graphs $G$ and $H$ have only real zeros, then the $\tau$-polynomial of their join $G\vee H$ has only real zeros. This settles a conjecture posed by Brenti, Royle and Wagner since 1994.