217 research outputs found
Max-balanced flows in oriented matroids
Let M=(E,O) be an oriented matroid on the ground set E. A real-valued vector x defined on E is a max-balanced flow for M if for every signed cocircuit YâOâ„, we have maxeΔY+Xe=maxeΔYâXe. We extend the admissibility and decomposition theorems of Hamacher from regular to general oriented matroids in the case of max-balanced flows, which gives necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a max-balanced flow x satisfying lâ©œĂâ©œu. We further investigate the semilattice of such flows under the usual coordinate partial order, and obtain structural results for the minimal elements. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such a flow when we are allowed to reverse the signs on a subset FâE. The proofs of all of our results are constructive, and yield polynomial algorithms in case M is coordinatized by a rational matrix A. In this same setting, we describe a polynomial algorithm that for a given vector w defined on E, either finds a potential p such that wâČ=w+pA is max-balanced, or a certificate that M has no max-balanced flow
Tutte's dichromate for signed graphs
We introduce the ``trivariate Tutte polynomial" of a signed graph as an
invariant of signed graphs up to vertex switching that contains among its
evaluations the number of proper colorings and the number of nowhere-zero
flows. In this, it parallels the Tutte polynomial of a graph, which contains
the chromatic polynomial and flow polynomial as specializations. The number of
nowhere-zero tensions (for signed graphs they are not simply related to proper
colorings as they are for graphs) is given in terms of evaluations of the
trivariate Tutte polynomial at two distinct points. Interestingly, the
bivariate dichromatic polynomial of a biased graph, shown by Zaslavsky to share
many similar properties with the Tutte polynomial of a graph, does not in
general yield the number of nowhere-zero flows of a signed graph. Therefore the
``dichromate" for signed graphs (our trivariate Tutte polynomial) differs from
the dichromatic polynomial (the rank-size generating function).
The trivariate Tutte polynomial of a signed graph can be extended to an
invariant of ordered pairs of matroids on a common ground set -- for a signed
graph, the cycle matroid of its underlying graph and its frame matroid form the
relevant pair of matroids. This invariant is the canonically defined Tutte
polynomial of matroid pairs on a common ground set in the sense of a recent
paper of Krajewski, Moffatt and Tanasa, and was first studied by Welsh and
Kayibi as a four-variable linking polynomial of a matroid pair on a common
ground set.Comment: 53 pp. 9 figure
Simplicial and Cellular Trees
Much information about a graph can be obtained by studying its spanning
trees. On the other hand, a graph can be regarded as a 1-dimensional cell
complex, raising the question of developing a theory of trees in higher
dimension. As observed first by Bolker, Kalai and Adin, and more recently by
numerous authors, the fundamental topological properties of a tree --- namely
acyclicity and connectedness --- can be generalized to arbitrary dimension as
the vanishing of certain cellular homology groups. This point of view is
consistent with the matroid-theoretic approach to graphs, and yields
higher-dimensional analogues of classical enumerative results including
Cayley's formula and the matrix-tree theorem. A subtlety of the
higher-dimensional case is that enumeration must account for the possibility of
torsion homology in trees, which is always trivial for graphs. Cellular trees
are the starting point for further high-dimensional extensions of concepts from
algebraic graph theory including the critical group, cut and flow spaces, and
discrete dynamical systems such as the abelian sandpile model.Comment: 39 pages (including 5-page bibliography); 5 figures. Chapter for
forthcoming IMA volume "Recent Trends in Combinatorics
A tight relation between series--parallel graphs and bipartite distance hereditary graphs
Bandelt and Mulderâs structural characterization of bipartite distance hereditary graphs asserts that such graphs can be built inductively starting from a single vertex and by re17 peatedly adding either pendant vertices or twins (i.e., vertices with the same neighborhood as an existing one). Dirac and Duffinâs structural characterization of 2âconnected seriesâparallel graphs asserts that such graphs can be built inductively starting from a single edge by adding either edges in series or in parallel. In this paper we give an elementary proof that the two constructions are the same construction when bipartite graphs are viewed as the fundamental graphs of a graphic matroid. We then apply the result to re-prove known results concerning bipartite distance hereditary graphs and seriesâparallel graphs and to provide a new class of polynomially-solvable instances for the integer multi-commodity flow of maximum valu
Determinantal probability measures
Determinantal point processes have arisen in diverse settings in recent years
and have been investigated intensively. We study basic combinatorial and
probabilistic aspects in the discrete case. Our main results concern
relationships with matroids, stochastic domination, negative association,
completeness for infinite matroids, tail triviality, and a method for extension
of results from orthogonal projections to positive contractions. We also
present several new avenues for further investigation, involving Hilbert
spaces, combinatorics, homology, and group representations, among other areas.Comment: 50 pp; added reference to revision. Revised introduction and made
other small change
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