A module-theoretic approach to matroids (Q2318422)

This paper provides geometric interpretations for combinatorial properties of matroids. The main idea is embedding of the category of matroids with strong maps into the category of module homomorphisms. Many combinatorial constructions in the category of matroids with strong maps are not functorial, for example, products or coequalizers don't exist [\textit{C. Heunen} and \textit{V. Patta}, Appl. Categ. Struct. 26, No. 2, 205--237 (2018; Zbl 1403.18002)]. A potential solution, developed in this paper, is embedding matroids into the category of quotient modules. Let \(\mathbb{B}=\{0, 1\}\) denote the idempotent semifield. Given a matroid \(M\) on ground set \(E\), \textit{J. Giansiracusa}, and \textit{N. Giansiracusa} [Duke Math. J. 165, No. 18, 3379--3433 (2016; Zbl 1409.14100)] already associated a submodule \(L_M \subseteq \mathbb{B}^E\) spanned by the indicator vectors of the cocircuits, and a quotient module \((\mathbb{B}^E)^\vee \twoheadrightarrow Q_M\) with interesting module-theoretic dual property \(Q_M = L_M^\vee\) [\textit{J. Giansiracusa}, and \textit{N. Giansiracusa}, Manuscr. Math. 156, No. 1--2, 187--213 (2018; Zbl 1384.05063)]. The authors of the paper under review investigate a faithful (but not full) functor \(\iota: M \rightsquigarrow \left(( \mathbb{B}^E )^\vee \twoheadrightarrow Q_M \right)\) and uncover a suitable extension of strong map that gives category of matroids a fully faithful embedding into their module-theoretic category. The functor \(\iota\) shines light on connection between combinatorics of matroids and algebra of idempotent modules, for example, it maps direct sum decomposition of matroids to direct sum decomposition of \(\mathbb{B}\)-module homomorphisms. In particular, \(M\) is connected if and only if \(\iota(M)\) is indecomposable. Another appealing application of embedding \(\iota\) is providing a geometric translation of transversal matroids (those that factor into union of rank-one matroids [\textit{J. G. Oxley}, Matroid theory. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2011; Zbl 1254.05002)]). For a rank \(d\) transversal matroid, the authors construct a \(d \times |E|\) matrix over \(\mathbb{B}\), calling it \(\mathbb{B}\)-presentation, such that the columns of maximal minors form a basis for \(M\). Then they give a geometric interpretation of Theorem 1 in [\textit{J. A. Bondy}, J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 5, 289--292 (1972; Zbl 0262.05017)] as the following ''Each nonempty fiber of the constant-coefficient tropical Stiefel map [\textit{A. Fink} and \textit{F. Rincón}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 135, 291--331 (2015; Zbl 1321.15044)] \[ \mathbb{B}^{d \times |E|} \dashrightarrow Gr^{\mathrm{trop}}(d, |E|) \] sending a \(\mathbb{B}\)-matrix to its tropical Plücker vector has a unique maximal member and in general multiple distinct minimal members.'' Under this interpretation, due to the idempotency of addition over \(\mathbb{B}\), fundamental transversal matroids [\textit{J. E. Bonin} et al., Electron. J. Comb. 18, No. 1, Research Paper P106, 16 p. (2011: Zbl 1233.05077)] correspond to surjective \(\mathbb{B}\)-presentations.