On triangle-free 3-connected matroids

We present a method to construct any triangle-free 3-connected matroid starting from a matroid belonging to one of four infinite families and subsequently performing a sequence of small operations on it. This result extends to matroids a theorem proved by Kriesell for graphs.     

A minor-based characterization of matroid 3-connectivity

It is well known that a matroid is 2-connected if and only if every 2-element set is contained in a circuit, or equivalently, a _U1,2$U_{1,2}$-minor. This paper proves that a matroid is 3-connected if and only if every 4-element set is contained in a minor isomorphic to a wheel of rank 3 or 4; a whirl of rank 2, 3, or 4; or the relaxation of a rank-3 whirl. Some variants of this result are also discussed.     

On reid’s 3-simplicial matroid theorem

In this paper we prove the following result of Ralph Reid (which was never published nor completely proved). Theorem. Let M be a matroid coordinatizable (representable) over a prime field F. Then there is a 3-simplicial matroid M′ over F which is a series extension of M. The proof we give is different from the original proof of Reid which uses techniques of algebraic topology. Our proof is constructive and uses elementary matrix operations.     

Minimally 3-connected isotropic systems

Isotropic systems are structures which unify some properties of 4-regular graphs and selfdual properties of binary matroids, such as connectivity and minors. In this paper, we find the minimally 3-connected isotropic systems. This result implies the binary part Tutte's wheels and whirls theorem.     

On matroid intersections

This paper exploits and extends results of Edmonds, Cunningham, Cruse and McDiarmid on matroid intersections. Letr ₁ andr ₂ be rank functions of two matroids defined on the same setE. For everyS ⊂E, letr ₁₂(S) be the largest cardinality of a subset ofS independent in both matroids, 0≦k≦r ₁₂(E)−1. It is shown that, ifc is nonnegative and integral, there is ay: 2 ^E →Z ⁺ which maximizes and , subject toy≧0, ∀j∈E, .     

Finding a small 3-connected minor maintaining a fixed minor and a fixed element

LetN andM be 3-connected matroids, whereN is a minor ofM on at least 4 elements, and lete be an element ofM and not ofN. Then, there exists a 3-connected minor \(\bar M\) ofM that usese, hasN as a minor, and has at most 4 elements more thanN. This result generalizes a theorem of Truemper and can be used to prove Seymour’s 2-roundedness theorem, as well as a result of Oxley on triples in nonbinary matroids.     

Capturing two elements in unavoidable minors of 3-connected binary matroids

Let M be a 3-connected binary matroid and let n   be an integer exceeding 2. Ding, Oporowski, Oxley, and Vertigan proved that there is an integer f(n)$f(n)$ so that if |E(M)|>f(n)$|E(M)|>f(n)$, then M has a minor isomorphic to one of the rank-n wheel, the rank-n   tipless binary spike, or the cycle or bond matroid of _K3,n$K_{3,n}$. This result was recently extended by Chun, Oxley, and Whittle to show that there is an integer g(n)$g(n)$ so that if |E(M)|>g(n)$|E(M)|>g(n)$ and x∈E(M)$x\in E(M)$, then x is an element of a minor of M isomorphic to one of the rank-n wheel, the rank-n   binary spike with a tip and a cotip, or the cycle or bond matroid of _K1,1,1,n$K_{1,1,1,n}$. In this paper, we prove that, for each i   in {2,3}$\{2,3\}$, there is an integer _hi(n)$h_i(n)$ so that if |E(M)|>_hi(n)$|E(M)|>h_i(n)$ and Z is an i-element rank-2 subset of M, then M has a minor from the last list whose ground set contains Z.     

A matroid generalization of a result of Dirac

This paper generalizes a theorem of Dirac for graphs by proving that ifM is a 3-connected matroid, then, for all pairs {a,b} of distinct elements ofM and all cocircuitsC ^* ofM, there is a circuit that contains {a,b} and meetsC ^*. It is also shown that, although the converse of this result fails, the specified condition can be used to characterize 3-connected matroids.The author's research was partially supported by a grant from the National Security Agency.     

On fixing elements in matroid minors

LetF be a collection of 3-connected matroids which is (3, 1)-rounded, that is, whenever a 3-connected matroidM has a minor in F ande is an element ofM, thenM has a minor in F whose ground set contains.e. The aim of this note is to prove that, for all sufficiently largen, the collection ofn-element 3-connected matroids having some minor inF is also (3, 1)-rounded.This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS-8500494.     

Towards a splitter theorem for internally 4-connected binary matroids III

This paper proves a preliminary step towards a splitter theorem for internally 4-connected binary matroids. In particular, we show that, provided M   or M^?$M^{?}$ is not a cubic Möbius or planar ladder or a certain coextension thereof, an internally 4-connected binary matroid M with an internally 4-connected proper minor N   either has a proper internally 4-connected minor M^′$M^{\prime }$ with an N  -minor such that |E(M)−E(M^′)|?3$|E(M)-E(M^{\prime })|?3$ or has, up to duality, a triangle T and an element e of T   such that M\e$M\backslash e$ has an N-minor and has the property that one side of every 3-separation is a fan with at most four elements.     

An augmenting path algorithm for linear matroid parity

Linear matroid parity generalizes matroid intersection and graph matching (and hence network flow, degree-constrained subgraphs, etc.). A polynomial algorithm was given by Lovász. This paper presents an algorithm that uses timeO(mn ³), wherem is the number of elements andn is the rank. (The time isO(mn ^2.5) using fast matrix multiplication; both bounds assume the uniform cost model). For graphic matroids the time isO(mn ²). The algorithm is based on the method of augmenting paths used in the algorithms for all subcases of the problem. First author was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grants MCS 78-18909, MCS-8302648, and DCR-8511991. The research was done while the second author was at the University of Denver and at the University of Colorado at Boulder.     

Every group is the automorphism group of a rank-3 matroid

Every group is the automorphism group of a rank-3 extension of a rank-3 Dowling geometry.Partially supported by The George Washington University UFF grant.Partially supported by the National Security Agency under grant MDA904-91-H-0030.     

Bounding the number of bases of a matroid

Letb(M) andc(M), respectively, be the number of bases and circuits of a matroidM. For any given minor closed class? of matroids, the following two questions, are investigated in this paper. (1) When is there a polynomial functionp(x) such thatb(M)≤p(c(m)|E(M)|) for every matroidM in?? (2) When is there a polynomial functionp(x) such thatb(M)≤p(|E(M)|) for every matroidM in?? Let us denote byM _Mn the direct sum ofn copies ofU _1,2. We prove that the answer to the first question is affirmative if and only if someM _Mn is not in?. Furthermore, if all the members of? are representable over a fixed finite field, then we prove that the answer to the second question is affirmative if and only if, also, someM _Mn is not in?.     

Counterexamples to conjectures on 4-connected matroids

Tutte characterized binary matroids to be those matroids without aU ₄ ² minor. Bixby strengthened Tutte’s result, proving that each element of a 2-connected non-binary matroid is in someU ₄ ² minor. Seymour proved that each pair of elements in a 3-connected non-binary matroid is in someU ₄ ² minor and conjectured that each triple of elements in a 4-connected non-binary matroid is in someU ₄ ² minor. A related conjecture of Robertson is that each triple of elements in a 4-connected non-graphic matroid is in some circuit. This paper provides counterexamples to these two conjectures.     

Coxeter matroid polytopes

If Δ is a polytope in real affine space, each edge of Δ determines a reflection in the perpendicular bisector of the edge. The exchange groupW (Δ) is the group generated by these reflections, and Δ is a (Coxeter) matroid polytope if this group is finite. This simple concept of matroid polytope turns out to be an equivalent way to define Coxeter matroids. The Gelfand-Serganova Theorem and the structure of the exchange group both give us information about the matroid polytope. We then specialize this information to the case of ordinary matroids; the matroid polytope by our definition in this case turns out to be a facet of the classical matroid polytope familiar to matroid theorists. This work was supported in part by NSA grant MDA904-95-1-1056.     

The structure of the 4-separations in 4-connected matroids

For a 2-connected matroid M, Cunningham and Edmonds gave a tree decomposition that displays all of its 2-separations. When M is 3-connected, two 3-separations are equivalent if one can be obtained from the other by passing through a sequence of 3-separations each of which is obtained from its predecessor by moving a single element from one side of the 3-separation to the other. Oxley, Semple, and Whittle gave a tree decomposition that displays, up to this equivalence, all non-trivial 3-separations of M. Now let M be 4-connected. In this paper, we define two 4-separations of M to be 2-equivalent if one can be obtained from the other by passing through a sequence of 4-separations each obtained from its predecessor by moving at most two elements from one side of the 4-separation to the other. The main result of the paper proves that M has a tree decomposition that displays, up to 2-equivalence, all non-trivial 4-separations of M.     

Euclideaness and final polynomials in oriented matroid theory

This paper deals with a geometric construction of algebraic non-realizability proofs for certain oriented matroids. As main result we obtain an algorithm which generates a (bi-quadratic) final polynomial [3], [5] for any non-euclidean oriented matroid. Here we apply the results of Edmonds, Fukuda and Mandel [6], [7] concerning non-degenerate cycling of linear programs in non-euclidean oriented matroids.     

On the minor-minimal 3-connected matroids having a fixed minor

Let N be a minor of a 3-connected matroid M such that no proper 3-connected minor of M has N as a minor. This paper proves a bound on |E(M)−E(N)| that is sharp when N is connected.     

The lattice of flats and its underlying flag matroid polytope

LetM be a matroid andF the collection of all linear orderings of bases ofM, orflags ofM. We define the flag matroid polytope Δ(F). We determine when two vertices of Δ(F) are adjacent, and provide a bijection between maximal chains in the lattice of flats ofM and certain maximal faces of Δ(F). Supported in part by NSA grant MDA904-95-1-1056.