Oriented Hypergraphs I: Introduction and Balance

An oriented hypergraph is an oriented incidence structure that extends the concept of a signed graph. We introduce hypergraphic structures and techniques central to the extension of the circuit classification of signed graphs to oriented hypergraphs. Oriented hypergraphs are further decomposed into three families -- balanced, balanceable, and unbalanceable -- and we obtain a complete classification of the balanced circuits of oriented hypergraphs.