$q$-Polymatroids and Their Relation to Rank-Metric Codes

It is well known that linear rank-metric codes give rise to $q$-polymatroids. Analogously to classical matroid theory one may ask whether a given $q$-polymatroid is representable by a rank-metric code. We provide a partial answer by presenting examples of $q$-matroids that are not representable by ${\mathbb F}_{q^m}$-linear rank-metric codes. We then go on and introduce deletion and contraction for $q$-polymatroids and show that they are mutually dual and that they correspond to puncturing and shortening of rank-metric codes. Finally, we introduce a closure operator along with the notion of flats and show that the generalized rank weights of a rank-metric code are fully determined by the flats of the associated $q$-polymatroid.