Triangles in 3-connected matroids (Q1179267)

Almost twenty years ago, \textit{R. E. Bixby} [Discrete Math. 8, 139-145 (1974; Zbl 0279.05027)] proved that if \(e\) is an element of a connected matroid \(M\) and \(M\) has a four-point line as a minor, then \(M\) has such a minor using \(e\). Since then, several other such ``roundedness'' results have been proved by a number of authors. In particular, \textit{T. Asano}, \textit{T. Nishizeki}, and \textit{P. D. Seymour} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 37, 290-293 (1984; Zbl 0551.05030)] showed that if \(T\) is a triangle (3- circuit) of a 3-connected non-graphic matroid \(M\), then \(M\) has a minor that uses \(T\) and is isomorphic to the four-point line, the Fano matroid, or \(M^*(K_{3,3})\). The author proves an extension of this result along with several similar structural results concerning triangles in 3- connected matroids. For example, he shows that if \(T\) is a triangle of a 3-connected matroid \(M\) and \(M\) has an \(M(K_ 5-e)\)-minor, then \(M\) has such a minor using \(T\).