An edge-signed generalization of chordal graphs, free multiplicities on braid arrangements, and their characterizations

In this article, we propose a generalization of the notion of chordal graphs to signed graphs, which is based on the existence of a perfect elimination ordering for a chordal graph. We give a special kind of filtrations of the generalized chordal graphs, and show a characterization of those graphs. Moreover, we also describe a relation between signed graphs and a certain class of multiarrangements of hyperplanes, and show a characterization of free multiarrangements in that class in terms of the generalized chordal graphs, which generalizes a well-known result by Stanley on free hyperplane arrangements. Finally, we give a remark on a relation of our results with a recent conjecture by Athanasiadis on freeness characterization for another class of hyperplane arrangements.