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We show Kantors conjecture (1974) holds in rank 4. This proves both the sticky matroid conjecture of Poljak and Turzik (1982) and the whole Kantors conjecture, due to an argument of Bachem, Kern, and Bonin, and an equivalence argument of Hochstattler and Wilhelmi, respectively.
We give a criterion for modular extension of rank-4 hypermodular matroids, and prove a weakening of Kantors conjecture for rank-4 realizable matroids. This proves the sticky matroid conjecture and Kantors conjecture for realizable matroids due to an argument of Bachem, Kern, and Bonin, and due to an equivalence argument of Hochstattler and Wilhelmi, respectively.
We introduce the notion of real phase structure on rational polyhedral fans in Euclidean space. Such a structure consists of an assignment of affine spaces over $mathbb{Z}/2mathbb{Z}$ to each top dimensional face of the fan subject to two conditions. Given an oriented matroid we can construct a real phase structure on the fan of the underlying matroid. Conversely, we show that from a real phase structure on a matroid fan we can produce an orientation of the underlying matroid. Thus real phase structures are cryptomorphic to matroid orientations. The topes of the orientated matroid are recovered immediately from the real phase structure. We also provide a direct way to recover the signed circuits of the oriented matroid from the real phase structure.
We express the matroid polytope $P_M$ of a matroid $M$ as a signed Minkowski sum of simplices, and obtain a formula for the volume of $P_M$. This gives a combinatorial expression for the degree of an arbitrary torus orbit closure in the Grassmannian $Gr_{k,n}$. We then derive analogous results for the independent set polytope and the associated flag matroid polytope of $M$. Our proofs are based on a natural extension of Postnikovs theory of generalized permutohedra.
We define a subclass of Hessenberg varieties called abelian Hessenberg varieties, inspired by the theory of abelian ideals in a Lie algebra developed by Kostant and Peterson. We give an inductive formula for the $S_n$-representation on the cohomology of an abelian regular semisimple Hessenberg variety with respect to the action defined by Tymoczko. Our result implies that a graded version of the Stanley-Stembridge conjecture holds in the abelian case, and generalizes results obtained by Shareshian-Wachs and Teff. Our proof uses previous work of Stanley, Gasharov, Shareshian-Wachs, and Brosnan-Chow, as well as results of the second author on the geometry and combinatorics of Hessenberg varieties. As part of our arguments, we obtain inductive formulas for the Poincare polynomials of regular abelian Hessenberg varieties.
We prove that a curious generating series identity implies Fabers intersection number conjecture (by showing that it implies a combinatorial identity already given in arXiv:1902.02742) and give a new proof of Fabers conjecture by directly proving this identity.