| Abstract: A matroid bundle is a combinatorial
model for a real vector bundle, in which the "base space" is a poset
and the "fibers" are oriented matroids. Any real vector bundle over a triangulable
base space can be "combinatorialized" into a matroid bundle, and matroid
bundles also arise naturally in combinatorial contexts with no obvious
relation to real vector bundles. Recent progress on several fronts have
brought to light close connections between the theory of matroid bundles
and the theory of real vector bundles, suggesting new combinatorial methods
for topology and bundle-theoretic methods for combinatorics.
This talk will discuss joint work with Eric Babson and Jim Davis
as well as independent work by Daniel Biss. |
