Connectivity Functions and Polymatroids

A {\em connectivity function on} a set $E$ is a function $λ:2^E\rightarrow \mathbb R$ such that $λ(\emptyset)=0$, that $λ(X)=λ(E-X)$ for all $X\subseteq E$ and that $λ(X\cap Y)+λ(X\cup Y)\leq λ(X)+λ(Y)$ for all $X,Y \subseteq E$. Graphs, matroids and, more generally, polymatroids have associated connectivity functions. We introduce a notion of duality for polymatroids and prove that every connectivity function is the connectivity function of a self-dual polymatroid. We also prove that every integral connectivity function is the connectivity function of a half-integral self-dual polymatroid.

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