Mutation polynomials and oriented matroids (Q1580757)

The total polynomial of a uniform oriented matroid on \(n\) elements is a generating function in \(2n\) variables for its collection of nonzero covectors; it was introduced by \textit{J. Lawrence} [Eur. J. Comb. 21, 3-12 (2000; Zbl 0981.52018)]. Here the affine space and the \(\mathbb{Z}\)-module generated by the total polynomials of uniform oriented matroids of rank \(r\) on \(n\) elements is determined. Lawrence describes bases that consist of mutation polynomials, that is, differences of the total polynomials of two oriented matroids that differ by a single basis inversion. This is of interest in view of the still unresolved conjecture of Las Vergnas that all oriented matroids for given \(n\) and \(r\) are connected by mutations. The results on total polynomials are then collapsed to the case of Randon catalogs, \(2\)-variable spezializations of the total polynomials, which were also introduced by Lawrence [loc.\ cit.]. The investigation leads to an interesting ``mutation count matrix'', and to a conjectured extremal property for the alternating oriented matroids. In particular, the first column of the mutation count matrix between an arbitrary uniform matroid polytope and a dual alternating oriented matroid displays the \(g\)-vector of the matroid polytope.