LLT polynomials, chromatic quasisymmetric functions and graphs with cycles

We use a Dyck path model for unit-interval graphs to study the chromatic quasisymmetric functions introduced by Shareshian and Wachs, as well as unicellular LLT polynomials, revealing some parallel structure and phenomena regarding their e-positivity. The Dyck path model is also extended to circular arc digraphs to obtain larger families of polynomials, giving a new extension of LLT polynomials. Carrying over a lot of the non-circular combinatorics, we prove several statements regarding the e-coefficients of chromatic quasisymmetric functions and LLT polynomials, including a natural combinatorial interpretation for the e-coefficients for the line graph and the cycle graph for both families. We believe that certain e-positivity conjectures hold in all these families above. Furthermore, beyond the chromatic analogy, we study vertical-strip LLT polynomials, which are modified Hall–Littlewood polynomials.