Topological properties of activity orders for matroid bases (Q1775895)

Las Vergnas introduced several lattice structures on the bases of an ordered matroid \(M\) by using their external and internal activities: Let \(M\) be a matroid on a finite linearly ordered set \(E\). Given a set \(F \subseteq E\), we say \(e\in E\) is active with respect to \(F\) if there is a circuit in \(F \cup \{e\}\) in which \(e\) is minimal with respect to the ordering on \(E\). Let \(\text{Act}_M(F) =\{e: e\) is active with respect to \(F\}\). The elements of the set \(\text{Ext}_M(F) = \text{Act}_M(F) -F\) are called externally active with respect to \(F\). Las Vergnas defined the external lattice of \(M\) via \(A \leq^{\text{ext}}_M B\) if and only if \(A \subseteq B \cup \text{Ext}_M(B)\). When augmented with a minimum element, the resulting order is in fact a graded lattice with rank function \(\rho_M(B) = | \text{Ext}_M(B)| +1\). This lattice is denoted \(L(M)\). Using the dual matroid \(M^*\), Las Vergnas also defined an internal order. The paper under review studies the Möbius function of these lattices. In particular, this paper provides a topolgical reason for the Möbius function to often be zero. The order complex of the external lattice \(L(M)\) is homotopic to the independence complex of the restriction \(M^*| T\) where \(M^*\) is the dual of \(M\) and \(T\) is the top element of \(L(M)\). This latter complex is often contractible, forcing the Möbius function to vanish. A theorem of Björner is used in calculating the homology of the matroid complex. Open problems are also discussed.