Tilting Modules over the Path Algebra of Type A, Polytopes, and Catalan Numbers

Abstract: It is well known that the number of tilting modules over a path algebra of type A_n coincides with the Catalan number C(n). Moreover, the number of support tilting modules of type A_n is the Catalan number C(n+1). We show that the convex hull of all roots of a root system of type A_n is a polytope with integral volume (n + 1)C(n+1). Moreover, we associate to the set of tilting modules and to the set of support tilting modules certain polytopes and show that their volumes coincide with the number of those modules, respectively. Finally, we show that these polytopes can be defined just using the root system and relate their volumes, so that we can derive the above results in a new way.