Incidence matrices, geometrical bases, combinatorial prebases and matroids

Abstract

For a relation A ⊆ ( C × D), where C,D are two finite sets, and an ordering σ of C we construct a matroid M(σ) on the set D. For the relation A with the incidence matrix  we also define a geometrical basis with respect to F, where F is a subset of the set of all circuits of the column matroid on Â. Geometrical bases are certain bases of this column matroid. We establish connections between the bases of matroids M(σ) and the geometrical bases of A with respect to F. These connections give a combinatorial way of constructing bases of the column matroid on  using a subset F of its circuits. We also consider a matroid M and the incidence relation between what we call the extended circuits of M and the bases of M. Applying the technique above we obtain the matroids M(σ) on the set of bases of the matroid M. In case of the incidence relation between vertices and edges of a graph this technique yields a unique matroid, the usual matroid of the graph. Some particular relations are considered: a class of relations with a certain property (the T-property) and the relation of inclusion of chambers in simplices in an affine point configuration.