On geometric semilattices

We define geometric semilattices, a generalization of geometric lattices. The poset of independent sets of a matroid is another example. We prove several axiomatic and constructive characterizations, for example: geometric semilattices are those semilattices obtained by removing a principal filter from a geometric lattice. We also show that all geometric semilattices are shellable, unifying and extending several previous results.

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