Notes on L-/M-convex functions and the separation theorems

Abstract.

The concepts of L-convex function and M-convex function have recently been introduced by Murota as generalizations of submodular function and base polyhedron, respectively, and discrete separation theorems are established for L-convex/concave functions and for M-convex/concave functions as generalizations of Frank’s discrete separation theorem for submodular/supermodular set functions and Edmonds’ matroid intersection theorem. This paper shows the equivalence between Murota’s L-convex functions and Favati and Tardella’s submodular integrally convex functions, and also gives alternative proofs of the separation theorems that provide a geometric insight by relating them to the ordinary separation theorem in convex analysis.