\(\Delta\)-matroids and metroids (Q1190230)

This paper is a continuation of two previous papers by the first of the authors concerning \(\Delta\)-matroids [see Math. Prog. 38, 147-159 (1987; Zbl 0633.90089), and Combinatorics, Proc. 7th Hung. Colloq., Eger/Hung. 1987, Colloq. Math. Soc. János Bolyai 52, 167-182 (1988; Zbl 0708.05013)], and of two others by the second and third named authors [see Adv. Math. 62, 285-312 (1986; Zbl 0609.05029), and INRIA Workshop on Computer-Aided Geometric Reasoning, Sophia Antipolis, France 1987] concerning metroids. The main result of this paper is the following (Theorem 1): Given a collection \({\mathcal F}\) of subsets \(F\) of a set \(E\), the pair \((E,{\mathcal F})\) is a metroid if and only if \(\varnothing\in{\mathcal F}\) and \((E,{\mathcal F})\) is a \(\Delta\)-matroid. Some consequences concerning arbitrary \(\Delta\)-matroids are discussed, as well.