Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Alex Fink

Publications and source records attributed to Alex Fink.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

The Tutte polynomial via lattice point counting

We recover the Tutte polynomial of a matroid, up to change of coordinates, from an Ehrhart-style polynomial counting lattice points in the Minkowski sum of its base polytope and scalings of simplices. Our polynomial has coefficients of alternating sign with a combinatorial interpretation closely tied to the Dawson partition. Our definition extends in a straightforward way to polymatroids, and in this setting our polynomial has Kálmán's internal and external activity polynomials as its univariate specialisations.

math.CO↗
arXiv2017

Polyhedra and parameter spaces for matroids over valuation rings

In this paper we address two of the major foundational questions in the theory of matroids over rings. First, we provide a cryptomorphic axiomatisation, by introducing an analogue of the base polytope for matroids. Second, we describe a parameter space for matroids over a valuation ring, which turns out to be a tropical version of the Bott-Samelson varieties for the full flag variety. Thus a matroid over a valuation ring is a sequence of flags of tropical linear spaces a.k.a. valuated matroids.

math.CO↗
arXiv2017

Schubert polynomials as integer point transforms of generalized permutahedra

We show that the dual character of the flagged Weyl module of any diagram is a positively weighted integer point transform of a generalized permutahedron. In particular, Schubert and key polynomials are positively weighted integer point transforms of generalized permutahedra. This implies several recent conjectures of Monical, Tokcan and Yong.

math.CO↗
arXiv2017

A Gröbner basis for the graph of the reciprocal plane

Given the complement of a hyperplane arrangement, let $Γ$ be the closure of the graph of the map inverting each of its defining linear forms. The characteristic polynomial manifests itself in the Hilbert series of $Γ$ in two different-seeming ways, one due to Orlik and Terao and the other to Huh and Katz. We define an extension of the no broken circuit complex of a matroid and use it to give a direct Gröbner basis argument that the polynomials extracted from the Hilbert series in these two ways agree.

math.AC↗
arXiv2016

Matrix Schubert varieties and Gaussian conditional independence models

Matrix Schubert varieties are certain varieties in the affine space of square matrices which are determined by specifying rank conditions on submatrices. We study these varieties for generic matrices, symmetric matrices, and upper triangular matrices in view of two applications to algebraic statistics: we observe that special conditional independence models for Gaussian random variables are intersections of matrix Schubert varieties in the symmetric case. Consequently, we obtain a combinatorial primary decomposition algorithm for some conditional independence ideals. We also characterize the vanishing ideals of Gaussian graphical models for generalized Markov chains. In the course of this investigation, we are led to consider three related stratifications, which come from the Schubert stratification of a flag variety. We provide some combinatorial results, including describing the stratifications using the language of rank arrays and enumerating the strata in each case.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

A lattice point counting generalisation of the Tutte polynomial

The Tutte polynomial for matroids is not directly applicable to polymatroids. For instance, deletion-contraction properties do not hold. We construct a polynomial for polymatroids which behaves similarly to the Tutte polynomial of a matroid, and in fact contains the same information as the Tutte polynomial when we restrict to matroids. This polynomial is constructed using lattice point counts in the Minkowski sum of the base polytope of a polymatroid and scaled copies of the standard simplex. We also show that, in the matroid case, our polynomial has coefficients of alternating sign, with a combinatorial interpretation closely tied to the Dawson partition.

math.CO↗
arXiv2015

Matrix orbit closures

Let $G$ be the group $GL_r(C) \times (C^\times)^n$. We conjecture that the finely-graded Hilbert series of a $G$ orbit closure in the space of $r$-by-$n$ matrices is wholly determined by the associated matroid. In support of this, we prove that the coefficients of this Hilbert series corresponding to certain hook-shaped Schur functions in the $GL_r(C)$ variables are determined by the matroid, and that the orbit closure has a set-theoretic system of ideal generators whose combinatorics are also so determined. We also discuss relations between these Hilbert series for related matrices, including their stabilizing behaviour as $r$ increases.

math.AG↗
arXiv2015

Equivariant Chow classes of matrix orbit closures

Let $G$ be the product $GL_r(C) \times (C^\times)^n$. We show that the $G$-equivariant Chow class of a $G$ orbit closure in the space of $r$-by-$n$ matrices is determined by a matroid. To do this, we split the natural surjective map from the $G$ equvariant Chow ring of the space of matrices to the torus equivariant Chow ring of the Grassmannian. The splitting takes the class of a Schubert variety to the corresponding factorial Schur polynomial, and also has the property that the class of a subvariety of the Grassmannian is mapped to the class of the closure of those matrices whose row span is in the variety.

math.AG↗
arXiv2015

Stiefel tropical linear spaces

The tropical Stiefel map associates to a tropical matrix A its tropical Pluecker vector of maximal minors, and thus a tropical linear space L(A). We call the L(A)s obtained in this way Stiefel tropical linear spaces. We prove that they are dual to certain matroid subdivisions of polytopes of transversal matroids, and we relate their combinatorics to a canonically associated tropical hyperplane arrangement. We also explore a broad connection with the secondary fan of the Newton polytope of the product of all maximal minors of a matrix. In addition, we investigate the natural parametrization of L(A) arising from the tropical linear map defined by A.

math.CO↗
arXiv2011

Lattice games without rational strategies

We show that the lattice games of Guo and Miller support universal computation, disproving their conjecture that all lattice games have rational strategies. We also state an explicit counterexample to that conjecture: a three dimensional lattice game whose set of winning positions does not have a rational generating function.

math.CO↗
arXiv2010

K-classes of matroids and equivariant localization

To every matroid, we associate a class in the K-theory of the Grassmannian. We study this class using the method of equivariant localization. In particular, we provide a geometric interpretation of the Tutte polynomial. We also extend results of the second author concerning the behavior of such classes under direct sum, series and parallel connection and two-sum; these results were previously only established for realizable matroids, and their earlier proofs were more difficult.

math.CO↗
arXiv2010

Valuative invariants for polymatroids

Many important invariants for matroids and polymatroids, such as the Tutte polynomial, the Billera-Jia-Reiner quasi-symmetric function, and the invariant $\mathcal G$ introduced by the first author, are valuative. In this paper we construct the $\Z$-modules of all $\Z$-valued valuative functions for labeled matroids and polymatroids on a fixed ground set, and their unlabeled counterparts, the $\Z$-modules of valuative invariants. We give explicit bases for these modules and for their dual modules generated by indicator functions of polytopes, and explicit formulas for their ranks. Our results confirm a conjecture of the first author that $\mathcal G$ is universal for valuative invariants.

math.CO↗
arXiv2010

Tropical cycles and Chow polytopes

The Chow polytope of an algebraic cycle in a torus depends only on its tropicalisation. Generalising this, we associate a Chow polytope to any abstract tropical variety in a tropicalised toric variety. Several significant polyhedra associated to tropical varieties are special cases of our Chow polytope. The Chow polytope of a tropical variety $X$ is given by a simple combinatorial construction: its normal subdivision is the Minkowski sum of $X$ and a reflected skeleton of the fan of the ambient toric variety.

math.AG↗
arXiv2008

Valuations for matroid polytope subdivisions

We prove that the ranks of the subsets and the activities of the bases of a matroid define valuations for the subdivisions of a matroid polytope into smaller matroid polytopes.

math.CO↗