Tracy Chin: Valuated Delta Matroids and Principal Minors

Abstract: Delta matroids are a generalization of matroids that arise naturally from combinatorial objects such as matchings, ribbon graphs, and principal minors of symmetric and skew symmetric matrices. In this talk, we will define valuated delta matroids and explore their connection with principal minors of Hermitian matrices. This generalizes work by Rincón on valuated even delta matroids and skew symmetric matrices. Based on joint work with Nathan Cheung, Gaku Liu, and Cynthia Vinzant.