Related papers: The smallest $I_5$-free and triangle-free binary m…
We study a matrix-based notion of matroid representation over local commutative rings obtained by replacing linear independence with modular independence. This construction always defines an independence system, though not necessarily a…
Generalizing a well known theorem for finite matroids, we prove that for every (infinite) connected matroid M there is a unique tree T such that the nodes of T correspond to minors of M that are either 3-connected or circuits or cocircuits,…
In 1996, Matheson and Tarjan proved that every near planar triangulation on $n$ vertices contains a dominating set of size at most $n/3$, and conjectured that this upper bound can be reduced to $n/4$ for planar triangulations when $n$ is…
We study point-line configurations, their minimal matroids, and their associated circuit varieties. We present an algorithm for identifying the minimal matroids of these configurations with respect to dependency order, or equivalently, the…
We study the combinatorial, algebraic and geometric properties of the free product operation on matroids. After giving cryptomorphic definitions of free product in terms of independent sets, bases, circuits, closure, flats and rank…
An intertwine of a pair of matroids is a matroid such that it, but none of its proper minors, has minors that are isomorphic to each matroid in the pair. For pairs for which neither matroid can be obtained, up to isomorphism, from the other…
Given a noncompact disconnected complete periodic curve $\Gamma$ with no self intersection in $\mathbb R^3$, it is proved that there exists a noncompact simply connected periodic minimal surface spanning $\Gamma$. As an application it is…
In this paper we investigate regular patterns of matrix elements of the nuclear shell model Hamiltonian $H$, by sorting the diagonal matrix elements from the smaller to larger values. By using simple plots of non-zero matrix elements and…
The sticky polymatroid conjecture states that any two extensions of the polymatroid have an amalgam if and only if the polymatroid has no non-modular pairs of flats. We show that the conjecture holds for polymatroids on five or less…
For each positive integer $t$ and each sufficiently large integer $r$, we show that the maximum number of elements of a simple, rank-$r$, $\mathbb C$-representable matroid with no $U_{2,t+3}$-minor is $t{r\choose 2}+r$. We derive this as a…
We apply the direct method of the calculus of variations to show that any nonplanar Frenet curve in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ can be extended to an infinitely narrow flat ribbon having minimal bending energy. We also show that, in general,…
Motivated by a property of linear resistive electrical networks, we introduce the class of Rayleigh matroids. This is a subclass of the balanced matroids introduced by Feder and Mihail [FM] in 1992. We prove a variety of results relating…
In the Inverse Matroid problem, we are given a matroid, a fixed basis $B$, and an initial weight function, and the goal is to minimally modify the weights -- measured by some function -- so that $B$ becomes a maximum-weight basis. The…
Let $M$ be an excluded minor for the class of $\mathbb{P}$-representable matroids for some partial field $\mathbb P$, and let $N$ be a $3$-connected strong $\mathbb{P}$-stabilizer that is non-binary. We prove that either $M$ is bounded…
The structure of zero and nonzero minors in the Grassmannian leads to rich combinatorics of matroids. In this paper, we investigate an even richer structure of possible equalities and inequalities between the minors in the positive…
In this paper we prove that the Stanley--Reisner ideal or cover ideal $I$ of a matroid is minimally resolvable by iterated mapping cones. As a technical tool for this purpose, we introduce and study focal matroids, which are submatroids of…
The foundation of a matroid is a canonical algebraic invariant which classifies representations of the matroid up to rescaling equivalence. Foundations of matroids are pastures, a simultaneous generalization of partial fields and…
Let $M$ be a $3$-connected binary matroid; $M$ is called internally $4$-connected if one side of every $3$-separation is a triangle or a triad, and $M$ is $(4,4,S)$-connected if one side of every $3$-separation is a triangle, a triad, or a…
We show that, if $M$ is a simple rank-$n$ matroid with no $\ell$-point line minor and no minor isomorphic to the cycle matroid of a $t$-vertex complete graph, then the ratio $|M| / n$ is bounded above by a singly exponential function of…
We characterize the perimeter-minimizing double bubbles on all flat two-tori and, as corollaries, on the flat infinite cylinder and the flat infinite strip with free boundary. Specifically, we show that there are five distinct types of…