Math 206A: Geometric Combinatorics (Fall 2021)

Course description: We will study (a subset of) the following objects:

Instructor: Pavel Galashin (udе.аlсu.htаm@nihsаlаg). Please put "206A" into the subject line.

Time and location: MWF 12pm-12:50pm, Boelter 4413.

Grading: Based on several homework problem sets.

Prerequisites: The material will be accessible to first year graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Knowledge of linear algebra and some prior exposure to combinatorics (e.g. Catalan numbers) would be very helpful.

Office hours: by appointment.

Lecture recordings can be found here.

Homeworks

Homework #1, due on Gradescope on Wednesday, October 27, at 12pm.
Homework #2, due on Gradescope on Friday, December 3, at 12pm.

Course materials

Some books below are available freely, others are behind a paywall. No need to purchase any of them for our class.

  • G. M. Ziegler, Lectures on Polytopes (link).

  • R. Stanley, An Introduction to Hyperplane Arrangements (pdf).

  • A. Björner, M. Las Vergnas, B. Sturmfels, N. White, G. M. Ziegler, Oriented Matroids. (link).

  • J. Oxley, Matroid Theory. (link).

  • I. Gelfand, M. Kapranov, A. Zelevinsky, Discriminants, Resultants, and Multidimensional Determinants. (link).