Yes, the "missing axiom" of matroid theory is lost forever

DOI10.1090/TRAN/7408MaRDI QIDQ6257679arXivWikidataFDO

Authors Dillon Mayhew, Mike Newman, Geoff Whittle

Publication date 29 December 2014

Model theory of finite structures (03C13) Combinatorial aspects of matroids and geometric lattices (05B35) Higher-order logic (03B16)

Abstract: We prove there is no sentence in the monadic second-order language MS0 that characterises when a matroid is representable over at least one field, and no sentence that characterises when a matroid is K-representable, for any infinite field K. By way of contrast, because Rota's Conjecture is true, there is a sentence that characterises F-representable matroids, for any finite field F.

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