An extension of matroid rank submodularity and the \(Z\)-Rayleigh property (Q540123)

Summary: We define an extension of matroid rank submodularity called \(R\)-submodularity, and introduce a minor-closed class of matroids called extended submodular matroids that are well-behaved with respect to \(R\)-submodularity. We apply \(R\)-submodularity to study a class of matroids with negatively correlated multivariate Tutte polynomials called the \(Z\)-Rayleigh matroids. First, we show that the class of extended submodular matroids are \(Z\)-Rayleigh. Second, we characterize a minor-minimal non-\(Z\)-Rayleigh matroid using its \(R\)-submodular properties. Lastly, we use \(R\)-submodularity to show that the Fano and non-Fano matroids (neither of which is extended submodular) are \(Z\)-Rayleigh, thus giving the first known examples of \(Z\)-Rayleigh matroids without the half-plane property.