We introduce toric complexes as polyhedral complexes consisting of rational cones together with a set of integral generators for each cone, and we define their associated face rings. Abstract simplicial complexes and rational fans can be considered as toric complexes, and the face ring for toric complexes extend Stanley and Reisner's face ring for abstract simplicial complexes and Stanley's face ring for rational fans. Given a toric complex with defining ideal I for the face ring we give a geometrical interpretation of the initial ideals of I with respect to weight orders in terms of subdivisions of the toric complex generalizing a theorem of Sturmfels. We apply our results to study edgewise subdivisions of abstract simplicial complexes.

22 pages, minor modifications