We characterize the rank of edge connection matrices of partition functions of real vertex models, as the dimension of the homogeneous components of the algebra of @math -invariant tensors. Here @math is the sub- group of the real orthogonal group that stabilizes the vertex model. This answers a question of Bal 'azs Szegedy from 2007.
The vertex connection matrices were used by Freedman, Lov 'asz and Schrijver in @cite_4 to characterize graph parameters which are of the form @math for some positive @math and symmetric @math .
@cite_4
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It is shown that a graph parameter can be realized as the number of homomorphisms into a fixed (weighted) graph if and only if it satisfies two linear algebraic conditions: reflection positivity and exponential rank-connectivity. In terms of statistical physics, this can be viewed as a characterization of partition functions of vertex models.