Combinatorial flag arrangements

Abstract

We introduce combinatorial objects named matricubes that provide a generalization of the theory of matroids. As matroids provide a combinatorial axiomatization of hyperplane arrangements, matricubes provide a combinatorial axiomatization of arrangements of initial flags in a vector space. We give cryptomorphic axiomatic systems in terms of rank function, flats, circuits, and independent sets, and formulate a duality concept. We also provide precise links between matricubes, permutation arrays and matroids, and raise several open questions.