The Complexity of Order Type Isomorphism

The order type of a point set in $R^d$ maps each $(d{+}1)$-tuple of points to its orientation (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise in $R^2$). Two point sets $X$ and $Y$ have the same order type if there exists a mapping $f$ from $X$ to $Y$ for which every $(d{+}1)$-tuple $(a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_{d+1})$ of $X$ and the corresponding tuple $(f(a_1),f(a_2),\ldots,f(a_{d+1}))$ in $Y$ have the same orientation. In this paper we investigate the complexity of determining whether two point sets have the same order type. We provide an $O(n^d)$ algorithm for this task, thereby improving upon the $O(n^{\lfloor{3d/2}\rfloor})$ algorithm of Goodman and Pollack (1983). The algorithm uses only order type queries and also works for abstract order types (or acyclic oriented matroids). Our algorithm is optimal, both in the abstract setting and for realizable points sets if the algorithm only uses order type queries.Comment: Preliminary version of paper to appear at ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA14

The Tutte Polynomial of a Morphism of Matroids 6. A Multi-Faceted Counting Formula for Hyperplane Regions and Acyclic Orientations

We show that the 4-variable generating function of certain orientation related parameters of an ordered oriented matroid is the evaluation at (x + u, y+v) of its Tutte polynomial. This evaluation contains as special cases the counting of regions in hyperplane arrangements and of acyclic orientations in graphs. Several new 2-variable expansions of the Tutte polynomial of an oriented matroid follow as corollaries. This result hold more generally for oriented matroid perspectives, with specific special cases the counting of bounded regions in hyperplane arrangements or of bipolar acyclic orientations in graphs. In corollary, we obtain expressions for the partial derivatives of the Tutte polynomial as generating functions of the same orientation parameters.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, 3 table

On the Number of Circuit-cocircuit Reversal Classes of an Oriented Matroid

The first author introduced the circuit-cocircuit reversal system of an oriented matroid, and showed that when the underlying matroid is regular, the cardinalities of such system and its variations are equal to special evaluations of the Tutte polynomial (e.g., the total number of circuit-cocircuit reversal classes equals $t(M;1,1)$, the number of bases of the matroid). By relating these classes to activity classes studied by the first author and Las Vergnas, we give an alternative proof of the above results and a proof of the converse statements that these equalities fail whenever the underlying matroid is not regular. Hence we extend the above results to an equivalence of matroidal properties, thereby giving a new characterization of regular matroids.Comment: 7 pages. v2: simplified proof, with new statements concerning other special evaluations of the Tutte polynomia