Abstract : Let $(A,B)$ be a $3$-separation in a matroid $M$. If $M$ is representable, then, in the underlying projective space, there is a line where the subspaces spanned by $A$ and $B$ meet, and $M$ can be extended by adding elements from this line. In general, Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle proved that $M$ can be extended by an independent set $\{p,q\}$ such that $\{p,q\}$ is in the closure of each of $A$ and $B$. In this extension, each of $p$ and $q$ is freely placed on the line $L$ spanned by $\{p,q\}$. This talk will discuss a result that gives necessary and sufficient conditions under which a fixed element can be placed on $L$.

Keywords : matroid extension; Vamos matroid