k-Best constrained bases of a matroid

We propose a method for finding a set ofk-best bases of an arbitrary matroid where the bases are required to satisfy additional partitionlike constraints. An application of this problem is discussed.Research partly supported by Sonderforschungsbereich 303 der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft and by the Austrian Science Foundation, Project P6004.     

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?.     

Weight distribution of the bases of a binary matroid

Let M be a weighted binary matroid and w₁ < … < w_m be the increasing sequence of all possible distinct weights of bases of M. We give a sufficient condition for the property that w₁, …, w_m is an arithmetical progression of common difference d. We also give conditions which guarantee that w_i+1 − w_i ≤ d, 1 ≤ i ≤ m −1. Dual forms for these results are given also.     

Decomposing symmetric exchanges in matroid bases

LetB,B be bases of a matroid, withX B, X B. SetsX,X are asymmetric exchange if(B – X) X and(B – X) X are bases. SetsX,X are astrong serial B-exchange if there is a bijectionf: X X, where for any ordering of the elements ofX, sayx _i ,i = 1, , m, bases are formed by the sets B₀ = B, B_i = (B_i–1 – x_i) f(x _i), fori = 1, , m. Any symmetric exchangeX,X can be decomposed by partitioning X = _i=1 ^m Y_i, X = _i=1 ^m Y_i, X, where (1) bases are formed by the setsB ₀ =B, B _i = (B _i–1 –Y _i ) Y _i ; (2) setsY _i ,Y _i are a strong serialB _i–1 -exchange; (3) properties analogous to (1) and (2) hold for baseB and setsY _i ,Y _i .     

On a matroid identity

The purpose of this note is to prove an identity for generalized Tutte-Grothendieck invariants, at least two special cases of which have already proved to be of considerable use. In addition, one of these special cases is used to strengthen results of Lindström on the critical exponent of a representable matroid and the chromatic number of a regular matroid.     

Extending a matroid by a cocircuit

Our main result describes how to extend a matroid so that its ground set is a modular hyperplane of the larger matroid. This result yields a new way to view Dowling lattices and new results about line-closed geometries. We complement these topics by showing that line-closure gives simple geometric proofs of the (mostly known) basic results about Dowling lattices. We pursue the topic of line-closure further by showing how to construct some line-closed geometries that are not supersolvable.     

Packing of arborescences with matroid constraints via matroid intersection

Mathematical Programming - Edmonds’ arborescence packing theorem characterizes directed graphs that have arc-disjoint spanning arborescences in terms of connectivity. Later he also observed a...     

Solving the linear matroid parity problem as a sequence of matroid intersection problems

In this paper, we present an O(r ⁴ n) algorithm for the linear matroid parity problem. Our solution technique is to introduce a modest generalization, the non-simple parity problem, and identify an important subclass of non-simple parity problems called easy parity problems which can be solved as matroid intersection problems. We then show how to solve any linear matroid parity problem parametrically as a sequence of easy parity problems.In contrast to other algorithmic work on this problem, we focus on general structural properties of dual solutions rather than on local primal structures. In a companion paper, we develop these ideas into a duality theory for the parity problem.     

What is a complex matroid?

Following an “ansatz” of Björner and Ziegler [BZ], we give an axiomatic development of finite sign vector systems that we callcomplex matroids. This includes, as special cases, the sign vector systems that encode complex arrangements according to [BZ], and the complexified oriented matroids, whose complements were considered by Gel'fand and Rybnikov [GeR]. Our framework makes it possible to study complex hyperplane arrangements as entirely combinatorial objects. By comparing complex matroids with 2-matroids, which model the more general 2-arrangements introduced by Goresky and MacPherson [GoM], the essential combinatorial meaning of a “complex structure” can be isolated. Our development features a topological representation theorem for 2-matroids and complex matroids, and the computation of the cohomology of the complement of a 2-arrangement, including its multiplicative structure in the complex case. Duality is established in the cases of complexified oriented matroids, and for realizable complex matroids. Complexified oriented matroids are shown to be matroids with coefficients in the sense of Dress and Wenzel [D1], [DW1], but this fails in general.     

Comparability graphs and a new matroid

We consider a variety of two person perfect information games of the following sort. On the ith round Player I selects a vector v_i of a certain prescribed form and Player II either adds or subtracts v_i from a cumulative sum. Player II's object is to keep the cumulative sum as small as possible. We give bounds on the value of such games under a variety of conditions.     

The basis monomial ring of a matroid

We define the basis monomial ring M_G of a matroid G and prove that it is Cohen-Macaulay for finite G. We then compute the Krull dimension of M_G, which is the rank over Q of the basis-point incidence matrix of G, and prove that dim B_G ≥ dim M_G under a certain hypothesis on coordinatizability of G, where B_G is the bracket ring of G.     

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.     

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, .     

On matroid connectivity

Three types of matroid connectivity, including Tutte's, are defined and shown to generalize corresponding notions of graph connectivity. A theorem of Tutte on cyclically 3-connected graphs, is generalized to matroids.     

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.