English

Virtual strings and their cobordisms

Geometric Topology 2016-09-07 v5 Algebraic Topology

Abstract

A virtual string is a scheme of self-intersections of a closed curve on a surface. We study algebraic invariants of strings as well as two equivalence relations on the set of strings: homotopy and cobordism. We show that the homotopy invariants of strings form an infinite dimensional Lie group. We also discuss connections between virtual strings and virtual knots.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0311185,
  title  = {Virtual strings and their cobordisms},
  author = {Vladimir Turaev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0311185},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

32 pages, 1 figure. This is an extended version of my preprint math.GT/0310218. Section 8.4 on secondary obstructions to sliceness is modified; coverings of strings and higher u-polynomials are added