Related papers: Burau maps and twisted Alexander polynomials
Braid monodromy is an important tool for computing invariants of curves and surfaces. In this paper, the \emph{rectangular braid diagram (RBD)} method is proposed to compute the braid monodromy of a completely reducible $n$-gonal curve,…
We provide the twisted Alexander polynomials of finite abelian covers over three-dimensional manifolds whose boundary is a finite union of tori. This is a generalization of a well-known formula for the usual Alexander polynomial of knots in…
We list the irreducible two dimensional complex representations of the Braid group B3 in elementary way. Then, we make a decomposition of the square of its irreducible Burau representation.
We use Reidemeister torsion to study a twisted Alexander polynomial, as defined by Turaev, for links in the projective space. Using sign-refined torsion we derive a skein relation for a normalized form of this polynomial.
We generalize a theorem of Burde and de Rham characterizing the zeros of the Alexander polynomial. Given a representation of a knot group $\pi$, we define an extension of $\pi$, the Crowell group. For any GL(n,C) representation of $\pi$,…
We study the distribution of arithmetic invariants associated to Alexander polynomials for certain infinite families of links. The families of links we consider arise from braids on a fixed number of strings. We explore analogies with…
The group of a nontrivial knot admits a finite permutation representation such that the corresponding twisted Alexander polynomial is not a unit.
We propose a family of new representations of the braid groups on surfaces that extend linear representations of the braid groups on a disc such as the Burau representation and the Lawrence-Krammer-Bigelow representation.
Goda showed that the twisted Alexander polynomial can be recovered from the zeta function of a matrix-weighted graph. Motivated by this, we study transformations of weighted graphs that preserve this zeta function, introducing a notion of…
It is known, since works of Burde and de Rham, that one can detect the roots of the Alexander polynomial of a knot by the study of the representations of the knot group into the group of the invertible upper triangular $2x2$ matrices. In…
We categorify the coefficients of the Burau representation matrix using elementary geometrical methods. We show the faithfulness of this categorification in the sense that it detects the trivial braid.
In this article, we give a numerical algorithm to compute braid groups of curves, hyperplane arrangements, and parameterized system of polynomial equations. Our main result is an algorithm that determines the cross-locus and the generators…
In recent years, twisted Alexander polynomial has been playing an important role in low-dimensional topology. For Montesinos links, we develop an efficient method to compute the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to any linear…
The reduced Burau representation $V_n$ of the braid group $B_n$ is obtained from the action of $B_n$ on the homology of an infinite cyclic cover of the $n$-punctured disc. In this note, we calculate $H_*(B_n;V_n)$ as a module over the…
We describe an alternative way of computing Alexander polynomials of knots/links, based on the Artin representation of the corresponding braids by automorphisms of a free group. Then we apply the same method to other representations of…
The Burau representation is a fundamental bridge between the braid group and diverse other topics in mathematics. A 1974 question of Birman asks for a description of the image; in this paper we give a "strong approximation" to the answer.…
We investigate the twisted Alexander polynomial of a 2-bridge knot associated to a Fox coloring. For several families of 2-bridge knots, including but not limited to, torus knots and genus-one knots, we derive formulae for these twisted…
We present examples of characters of absolute Galois groups of number fields that can be recovered through their action by automorphisms on the profinite completion of the braid groups, using a ``rigidity'' approach. The way we use to…
We consider a certain modification of the group $G^3_n$ which describes dynamics of point configurations, in particular braids, and define a representation of the modified $G^3_n$. The braid representation induced is powerful enough to…
Braid groups are an important and flexible tool used in several areas of science, such as Knot Theory (Alexander's theorem), Mathematical Physics (Yang-Baxter's equation) and Algebraic Geometry (monodromy invariants). In this note we will…