Veronica Kelsey

Matroids, Steiner systems and IBIS groups

We’ll begin by introducing Steiner systems, IBIS groups and matroids through the running example of the Fano plane. The fact that the Fano plane can be used to construct examples of these three objects is no coincidence, as will become clear when we look at a 1959 result of Hartmanis and a 1995 result of Cameron and Fon-Der-Flaass. Finally we’ll discuss the results of some ongoing explorations into these connections being carried out by Carl-Fredrik Nyberg Brodda and I.