We show that the class of bicircular matroids has only a finite number of
excluded minors. Key tools used in our proof include representations of
matroids by biased graphs and the recently introduced class of quasi-graphic
matroids. We show that if N is an excluded minor of rank at least ten, then
N is quasi-graphic. Several small excluded minors are quasi-graphic. Using
biased-graphic representations, we find that N already contains one of these.
We also provide an upper bound, in terms of rank, on the number of elements in
an excluded minor, so the result follows.Comment: Added an appendix describing all known excluded minors. Added Gordon
Royle as author. Some proofs revised and correcte