Tangle-Tree Duality: In Graphs, Matroids and Beyond

Abstract

We apply a recent tangle-tree duality theorem in abstract separation systems to derive tangle-tree-type duality theorems for width-parameters in graphs and matroids.We further derive a duality theorem for the existence of clusters in large data sets. Our applications to graphs include new, tangle-type, duality theorems for tree-width, path-width, and tree-decompositions of small adhesion. Conversely, we show that carving width is dual to edge-tangles. For matroids we obtain a tangle-type duality theorem for tree-width. Our results can also be used to derive short proofs of all the classical duality theorems for width parameters in graph minor theory, such as path-width, tree-width, branch-width and rank-width.