Prof Alex Fink
PhD
Professor in Pure Mathematics
Head of The Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory
School of Mathematical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Research
matroids, tropical geometry, algebraic combinatorics, algebraic geometry
Interests
My research sits between combinatorics and algebra, particularly algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. Some of my current research projects involve algebro-geometric incarnations of matroid invariants, aligned with the matroid Hodge theory programme; geometric tropicalisation for divisorial arrangements; a uniform perspective on tropical equations for Coxeter matroids for minuscule parabolics; and ladder determinantal ideals.
Publications

Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory
2025
The polytope of all matroidsFerroni L Fink A
27-02-2025
(Delta-)matroid Polytopes and Valuative InvariantsFink A
In
Matrix Book Series,
Springer Nature Switzerland 313-326.
01-01-2025
Chromatically Equivalent Chordal GraphsDong F Fink A Li T McKay B Morgan K Royle G Vena L Zhang M
In
Matrix Book Series,
Springer Nature Switzerland 283-287.
01-01-20252024
The external activity complex of a pair of matroidsBerget A Fink A
16-12-2024
The omega invariant of a matroidFink A Shaw K Speyer DE
29-11-2024
Projective hypersurfaces in tropical scheme theory I: the Macaulay idealFink A Giansiracusa J Giansiracusa N Mundinger J
25-05-2024
Signed permutohedra, delta‐matroids, and beyondEur C Fink A Larson M Spink H
Proceedings of The London Mathematical Society,
Wiley vol. 128 (3)
01-03-2024
Gröbner bases, symmetric matrices, and type C Kazhdan–Lusztig varietiesEscobar L Fink A Rajchgot J Woo A
Journal of The London Mathematical Society,
Wiley vol. 109 (2)
01-02-20242023
Extensions of transversal valuated matroidsFink A Olarte JA
10-08-20232022
Signed permutohedra, delta-matroids, and beyondEur C Fink A Larson M Spink H
14-09-2022
Initial forms and a notion of basis for tropical differential equationsFink A Toghani Z
Pacific Journal of Mathematics,
Mathematical Sciences Publishers vol. 318 (2), 453-468.
20-08-2022
The Tutte polynomial via lattice point countingCameron A Fink A
Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A,
Elsevier Bv vol. 188, 105584-105584.
01-05-2022
Presentations of transversal valuated matroidsFink A Olarte JA
Journal of The London Mathematical Society,
Wiley vol. 105 (1), 24-62.
01-01-20222021
Matroids and the space of torus-invariant subvarieties of the\n Grassmannian with given homology classElizondo EJ Fink A López CG
Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra, 2025 31-12-2021
Matroids and the space of torus-invariant subvarieties of the Grassmannian with given homology classElizondo EJ Fink A López CG
In
Arxiv 31-12-2021
Equivariant K-Theory Classes of Matrix Orbit ClosuresBerget A Fink A
International Mathematics Research Notices,
Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 2022 (18), 14105-14133.
02-06-2021
Correction to: EQUIVARIANT CHOW CLASSES OF MATRIX VARIETIESBERGET A FINK A
Transformation Groups,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 26 (3), 1145-1146.
21-04-2021
Gröbner bases, symmetric matrices, and type C Kazhdan-Lusztig\n varietiesEscobar L Fink A Rajchgot J Woo A
19-04-20212020
Zero-one Schubert polynomialsFink A Mészáros K Dizier AS
Mathematische Zeitschrift,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 297 (3-4), 1023-1042.
10-06-2020
A lattice point counting generalisation of the Tutte polynomialCameron A Fink A
Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science. vol. DMTCS Proceedings, 28th...
22-04-2020
Initial forms and a notion of basis for tropical differential equationsFink A Toghani Z
17-04-2020
A Gröbner basis for the graph of the reciprocal planeFink A Speyer DE Woo A
Journal of Commutative Algebra,
Rocky Mountain Mathematics Consortium vol. 12 (1)
01-03-20202019
Equivariant K-theory classes of matrix orbit closuresBerget A Fink A
22-04-2019
Zero-one Schubert polynomialsFink A Mészáros K Dizier AS
25-03-2019
Presentations of Transversal Valuated MatroidsFink A Olarte JA
19-03-2019
Polyhedra and parameter spaces for matroids over valuation ringsFink A Moci L
Advances in Mathematics vol. 343, 448-494.
05-02-2019
Polyhedra and parameter spaces for matroids over valuation ringsFink A Moci L
Advances in Mathematics,
Elsevier Bv vol. 343, 448-494.
01-02-20192018
Schubert polynomials as integer point transforms of generalized permutahedraFink A Mészáros K St. Dizier A
Advances in Mathematics,
Elsevier Bv vol. 332, 465-475.
01-07-2018
Matrix orbit closuresBerget A Fink A
BeiträGe Zur Algebra Und Geometrie / Contributions to Algebra and Geometry,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 59 (3), 397-430.
25-05-2018
The Tutte polynomial via lattice point countingCameron A Fink A
27-02-2018
Universal Tutte characters via combinatorial coalgebrasDupont C Fink A Moci L
Algebraic Combinatorics,
Cellule Mathdoc/Cedram vol. 1 (5), 603-651.
01-01-20182017
Universal Tutte characters via combinatorial coalgebrasDupont C Fink A Moci L
24-11-2017
Polyhedra and parameter spaces for matroids over valuation ringsFink A Moci L
04-07-2017
Schubert polynomials as integer point transforms of generalized\n permutahedraFink A Mészáros K Dizier AS
15-06-2017
A Gröbner basis for the graph of the reciprocal planeFink A Speyer DE Woo A
17-03-2017
THE OUTERCOARSENESS OF THE n-CUBEFink A Guy RK
Contributions to Discrete Mathematics vol. 12 (2), 22-32.
01-01-20172016
EQUIVARIANT CHOW CLASSES OF MATRIX ORBIT CLOSURESBERGET A FINK A
Transformation Groups,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 22 (3), 631-643.
19-07-2016
A lattice point counting generalisation of the Tutte polynomialCameron A Fink A
04-04-2016
Matroids over a ringFink A Moci L
Journal of The European Mathematical Society,
European Mathematical Society - Ems - Publishing House Gmbh vol. 18 (4), 681-731.
08-03-2016
Matrix Schubert varieties and Gaussian conditional independence modelsFink A Rajchgot J Sullivant S
Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics vol. 44 (4), 1009-1046.
01-01-20162015
Matrix Schubert varieties and Gaussian conditional independence modelsFink A Rajchgot J Sullivant S
14-10-2015
Stiefel tropical linear spacesFink A Rincón F
Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series A,
Elsevier vol. 135, 291-331.
01-10-2015
Equivariant Chow classes of matrix orbit closuresBerget A Fink A
17-07-2015
Matroids Over a RingFink A Moci L
In
Springer Indam Series,
Springer International Publishing 41-47.
01-01-20152013
Matroids over a ringFink A Moci L
Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, 157-168.
18-11-2013
Matrix orbit closuresBerget A Fink A
07-06-2013
Stiefel tropical linear spacesFink A Rincón F
27-05-2013
LIM is not slimFink A Fraenkel AS Santos C
International Journal of Game Theory,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 43 (2), 269-281.
12-05-2013
LIM is not slimFink A Fraenkel AS Santos C
International Journal of Game Theory, 1-13.
01-01-20132012
Projective invariants of vector configurationsBerget A Fink A
Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, 284-296.
01-12-2012
K-classes for matroids and equivariant localizationFink A Speyer DE
Duke Mathematical Journal,
Duke University Press vol. 161 (14)
01-11-2012
Matroids over a ringFink A Moci L
28-09-2012
Tropical cycles and Chow polytopesFink A
BeiträGe Zur Algebra Und Geometrie / Contributions to Algebra and Geometry,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 54 (1), 13-40.
06-09-2012
Lattice games without rational strategiesFink A
Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A,
Elsevier Bv vol. 119 (2), 450-459.
01-02-2012
Invariants of vector configurationsBerget A Fink A
Discrete Mathematics &Amp; Theoretical Computer Science,
Centre Pour La Communication Scientifique Directe (Ccsd) vol. DMTCS Proceedings vol. AR,... (Proceedings)
01-01-20122011
Lattice games without rational strategiesFink A
09-06-2011
K-classes for matroids and equivariant localizationFink A Speyer D
Discrete Mathematics &Amp; Theoretical Computer Science,
Centre Pour La Communication Scientifique Directe (Ccsd) vol. DMTCS Proceedings vol. AO,... (Proceedings)
01-01-20112010
Valuations for Matroid Polytope SubdivisionsArdila F Fink A Rincón F
Canadian Journal of Mathematics,
Canadian Mathematical Society vol. 62 (6), 1228-1245.
14-12-2010
Valuative invariants for polymatroidsDerksen H Fink A
Advances in Mathematics,
Elsevier Bv vol. 225 (4), 1840-1892.
01-11-2010
The binomial ideal of the intersection axiom for conditional probabilitiesFink A
Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics,
Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 33 (3), 455-463.
17-09-2010
Bijections between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions for classical reflection groupsFink A Giraldo BI
Portugaliae Mathematica,
European Mathematical Society - Ems - Publishing House Gmbh vol. 67 (3), 369-401.
20-08-2010
K-classes of matroids and equivariant localizationFink A Speyer DE
14-04-2010
Tropical cycles and Chow polytopesFink A
26-01-2010
Valuative invariants for polymatroidsDerksen H Fink A
Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science. vol. DMTCS Proceedings vol. AN,... (Proceedings)
01-01-20102009
Bijections between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions for classical reflection groupsFink A Giraldo BI
Fpsac 09 21st International Conference on Formal Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics., 397-410.
01-12-2009
Valuative invariants for polymatroidsDerksen H Fink A
20-08-2009
Interactive Supplements to Rick's Tricky Six PuzzleEnsley D
,
The Maa Mathematical Sciences Digital Library 31-03-2009
The binomial ideal of the intersection axiom for conditional\n probabilitiesFink A
09-02-2009
Patulous pegboard polygonsKisman D Guy R Fink A
In
Mathematical Wizardry For a Gardner 59-68.
01-01-20092008
A bijection between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions for classical\n reflection groupsFink A Giraldo BI
15-10-20082007
Valuations for matroid polytope subdivisionsArdila F Fink A Rincón F
24-10-2007
The Number-Pad GameFink A Guy R
The College Mathematics Journal,
Informa Uk Limited vol. 38 (4), 260-264.
01-09-2007
Extracting NPC behavior from computer games using computer vision and machine learning techniquesFink A Denzinger J Aycock J
2007 IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Games 1 Apr 2007 - 5 Apr 2007., 24-31.
01-01-2007
Grants

Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory
POLYHODGE MSCA PF 2023 Fink/FerroniAlex Fink£206,086
EPSRC - EU Scheme01-08-2025 - 31-07-2027
Extensions of matroid Hodge theoryAlex Fink£335,497
EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council01-05-2023 - 30-04-2026
Queer and Trans Mathematicians in Combinatorics-GRANT TRANSFERAlex Fink£2,500
Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research01-07-2023 - 30-09-2023
Conference Grant- Queer and Trans Mathematicians in CombinatoricsAlex Fink£4,000
London Mathematical Society (LMS)01-04-2023 - 31-07-2023
TROPDIFFGEO - Tropical Differential GeometryAlex Fink£156,364
EU Commission - Horizon 202001-06-2018 - 30-11-2020
Research Group
PhD Students
- Benjamain Dobres
Ideals of Matrix Orbits Under The Two-Sided Multiplication Action of B×T - Samuel-Louis Gardiner
Tropical Vector Bundles - Linxuan Li
(Provisional Topic) Tropical Complete Intersections of Low Degree - Cat Rust
Topology of Stable Mapping Spaces
News
October 2025
6 October 2025
We welcome a bumper cohort of postdocs to the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory this year. For this post, we asked them to introduce themselves and say a bit about their mathematical journey to QMUL and what they will be getting up to during their time here.
Himanshi ... [more]

2 October 2025
The School of Mathematical Sciences hosted the twenty-second meeting of the Applied Algebra and Geometry Network on Monday 15 September with a large contingent from the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory participating.
Queen Mary postdoc Dante Luber shared his thoughts after the meeting.
What were your general impressions of ... [more]
