Matroid and Tutte-connectivity in infinite graphs

We relate matroid connectivity to Tutte-connectivity in an infinite graph. Moreover, we show that the two cycle matroids, the finite-cycle matroid and the cycle matroid, in which also infinite cycles are taken into account, have the same connectivity function. As an application we re-prove that, also for infinite graphs, Tutte-connectivity is invariant under taking dual graphs.Comment: 11 page

Finite connectivity in infinite matroids

We introduce a connectivity function for infinite matroids with properties similar to the connectivity function of a finite matroid, such as submodularity and invariance under duality. As an application we use it to extend Tutte's linking theorem to finitary and to co-finitary matroids.Comment: 16 page

Rank-width and Well-quasi-ordering of Skew-Symmetric or Symmetric Matrices

We prove that every infinite sequence of skew-symmetric or symmetric matrices M_1, M_2, ... over a fixed finite field must have a pair M_i, M_j (i<j) such that M_i is isomorphic to a principal submatrix of the Schur complement of a nonsingular principal submatrix in M_j, if those matrices have bounded rank-width. This generalizes three theorems on well-quasi-ordering of graphs or matroids admitting good tree-like decompositions; (1) Robertson and Seymour's theorem for graphs of bounded tree-width, (2) Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle's theorem for matroids representable over a fixed finite field having bounded branch-width, and (3) Oum's theorem for graphs of bounded rank-width with respect to pivot-minors.Comment: 43 page

The structure of 2-separations of infinite matroids

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, and the edges of T correspond to certain nested 2-separations of M. These decompositions are invariant under duality.Comment: 31 page

Branch-depth: Generalizing tree-depth of graphs

We present a concept called the branch-depth of a connectivity function, that generalizes the tree-depth of graphs. Then we prove two theorems showing that this concept aligns closely with the notions of tree-depth and shrub-depth of graphs as follows. For a graph $G = (V,E)$ and a subset $A$ of $E$ we let $\lambda_G (A)$ be the number of vertices incident with an edge in $A$ and an edge in $E \setminus A$. For a subset $X$ of $V$, let $\rho_G(X)$ be the rank of the adjacency matrix between $X$ and $V \setminus X$ over the binary field. We prove that a class of graphs has bounded tree-depth if and only if the corresponding class of functions $\lambda_G$ has bounded branch-depth and similarly a class of graphs has bounded shrub-depth if and only if the corresponding class of functions $\rho_G$ has bounded branch-depth, which we call the rank-depth of graphs. Furthermore we investigate various potential generalizations of tree-depth to matroids and prove that matroids representable over a fixed finite field having no large circuits are well-quasi-ordered by the restriction.Comment: 34 pages, 2 figure

Branch-depth: Generalizing tree-depth of graphs

We present a concept called the branch-depth of a connectivity function, that generalizes the tree-depth of graphs. Then we prove two theorems showing that this concept aligns closely with the notions of tree-depth and shrub-depth of graphs as follows. For a graph $G = (V,E)$ and a subset $A$ of $E$ we let $\lambda_G (A)$ be the number of vertices incident with an edge in $A$ and an edge in $E \setminus A$. For a subset $X$ of $V$, let $\rho_G(X)$ be the rank of the adjacency matrix between $X$ and $V \setminus X$ over the binary field. We prove that a class of graphs has bounded tree-depth if and only if the corresponding class of functions $\lambda_G$ has bounded branch-depth and similarly a class of graphs has bounded shrub-depth if and only if the corresponding class of functions $\rho_G$ has bounded branch-depth, which we call the rank-depth of graphs. Furthermore we investigate various potential generalizations of tree-depth to matroids and prove that matroids representable over a fixed finite field having no large circuits are well-quasi-ordered by the restriction.Comment: 36 pages, 2 figures. Final versio

On matroids of branch-width three

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Axioms for infinite matroids

We give axiomatic foundations for non-finitary infinite matroids with duality, in terms of independent sets, bases, circuits, closure and rank. This completes the solution to a problem of Rado of 1966.Comment: 33 pp., 2 fig