Online Talk: Tom Zaslavsky

Time:
Thursday, Feb 2, 3pm EST (8pm GMT, 9am Fri NZDT)
Zoom: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/8802082683

Speaker: Tom Zaslavsky, Binghamton University
Title: Matroids of gain signed graphs
Abstract: For standard affinographic hyperplane arrangements (a.k.a. deformations ofthe Type A root system arrangement or “braid” arrangement), integral gaingraphs give a simpler method to compute the characteristic polynomial, afundamental invariant.  For more general affinographic arrangements(a.k.a. deformations of the Type B root system arrangement), one has tocombine gains with signs.  How to do this has been a puzzle.  The obviousmethod is to put signs on top of gains.  The right method is to put gainson top of signs.  Laura Anderson, Ting Su, and I found out how to do this,constructing the natural matroid and the corresponding semimatroid, whichlatter gives the characteristic polynomial of these more generalarrangements when the gain group is the additive group of integers.  Iwill explain some of this.  It does get complicated.

Online Talk: Johannes Carmesin

The online Graphs and Matroids seminar will meet over Zoom every other Thursday, starting on Jan 19 with a talk by Johannes Carmesin. We hope to see you there!

Time: Thursday, Jan 19, 3pm EST (8pm GMT, 9am Fri NZDT)
Zoom: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/8802082683

Speaker: Johannes Carmesin, University of Birmingham
Title: Dual matroids of 2-complexes
Abstract: A fundamental theorem in matroid theory is Whitney’s theorem,saying that a graph is planar if and only if the dual of its cycle matroidis graphic. Like plane graphs, 2-complexes C embedded in 3-space have dualgraphs; their vertices are the chambers of the embedding and two chambersare adjacent if they share a face. This dual graph of C can be describedthrough a dual matroid of the 2-complex C. How can Whitney’s theorem beextended to 2-complexes?

Online Talk: Carolyn Chun

Tuesday, April 12, 3pm ET (8pm BST, 7am Wed NZST)
Carolyn Chun, United States Naval Academy
Lattice path matroids, lattice path polymatroids, and excluded minors

Online Talk: Lise Turner

Tuesday, April 5, 3pm ET (8pm BST, *7am* Wed NZST)
Lise Turner, University of Waterloo
A local version of Hadwiger’s Conjecture