We seek simple conditions on a pair of labeled posets that determine when the difference of their (P, ω)-partition enumerators is F -positive, i.e., positive in Gessel's fundamental basis. This is a quasisymmetric analogue of the extensively studied problem of finding conditions on a pair of skew shapes that determine when the difference of their skew Schur functions is Schur-positive. We determine necessary conditions and separate sufficient conditions for F -positivity, and show that a broad operation for combining posets preserves positivity properties. We conclude with classes of posets for which we have conditions that are both necessary and sufficient.
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