Symmetric Tensor Matroids, Dual Rigidity Matroids, and the Maximality Conjecture

Abstract

Inspired by a recent result of Brakensiek et al. that symmetric tensor matroids and rigidity matroids are linked by matroid duality, we define abstract symmetric tensor matroids as a dual concept to abstract rigidity matroids and establish their basic properties. We then exploit this duality to obtain an alternative characterisation of the generic $d$-dimensional rigidity on $K_n$ for $n-d\leq 6$ to that given by Grasseger et al. Our results imply that Graver's maximality conjecture holds for these matroids. We also consider the related family of $K_{1,t+1}$-matroids on $K_n$ and show that this family has a unique maximal element only when $t\leq 3$. This implies that the family of second quasi symmetric powers of the uniform matroid $U_{t,n}$ does not have a unique maximal matroid if $t\geq 4$ and $n$ is sufficiently large.