On switching paths polyhedra

A class of integer polyhedra with totally dual integral (tdi) systems is proposed, which generalizes and unifies the “Switching Paths Polyhedra” of Hoffman (introduced in his generalization of Max Flow-Min Cut) and such polyhedra as the convex hull of (the incidence vectors of) all “path-closed sets” of an acyclic digraph, or the convex hull of all sets partitionable intok path-closed sets. As an application, new min-max theorems concerning the mentioned sets are given. A general lemma on when a tdi system of inequalities is box tdi is also given and used.