Linear Algebraic Relations among Cardinalities of Sets of Matroid Functions

We introduce a unifying approach for invariants of finite matroids that count mappings to a finite set. The aim of this paper is to show that if the cardinalities of mappings with fixed values on a restricted set satisfy contraction-deletion rules, then there is a relation among them that can be expressed in terms of linear algebra. In this way, we study regular chain groups, nowhere-zero flows and tensions on graphs, and acyclic and totally cyclic orientations of oriented matroids and graphs.