On linear spaces and matroids of arbitrary cardinality (Q2496148)

A linear space is a couple \(P=(E,L)\) where \(E\) is a point set and \(L\) consists of subsets of \(E\) called lines such that each line contains at least two points and for \(x,y\in E\), \(x\not = y\), there exists exactly one line containing \(x\) and \(y\). Sometimes, linear spaces are equipped with some additional structure, e.g.\ some set system \(\mathcal F\) of subspaces satisfying certain axioms: whenever \(F\in {\mathcal F}\) and \(x,y\in F\), \(x\not = y\), then also the line \(l\in L\) with \(x,y\in l\) is contained in \(F\). Then \(P\) together with \(\mathcal F\) is an \(n\)-dimensional linear space if \(\mathcal F\) fulfills certain conditions similar to those in projective geometries of dimension \(n\). In the paper, linear spaces of arbitrary finite dimension are studied. The authors interpret linear spaces as simple matroids and study the problem of erecting some linear space of dimension \(n\) to some linear space of dimension \(n+1\) (i.e.\ if every subspace of the \(n\)-dimensional space is also a subspace of the \(n+1\)-dimensional one). In the case of finite \(E\), the problem was already solved by H.\, Crapo and D.\, Knuth. At first, the authors examine the problem when a simple matroid of rank \(m\geq 3\) may be erected to some simple matroid of rank \(m+1\). Finally, examples of erections are studied. In particular, one of these erections is computed within some infinite iteration process.