Related papers: Braid-positive Legendrian links

Recent results on the linearity of braid groups are extended in two ways. We generalize the Lawrence Krammer representation as well as Krammer's faithfulness proof for this linear representation to Artin groups of finite type.

We consider Legendrian contact structures on odd-dimensional complex analytic manifolds. We are particularly interested in integrable structures, which can be encoded by compatible complete systems of second order PDEs on a scalar function…

We characterize unitary representations of braid groups $B_n$ of degree linear in $n$ and finite images of such representations of degree exponential in $n$.

In this paper we prove a Markov Theorem for virtual braids and for some analogs of this structure. The virtual braid group is the natural companion in the category of virtual knots, just as the Artin braid group is the natural companion to…

We prove that each overtwisted contact structure has knot types that are represented by infinitely many distinct transverse knots all with the same self-linking number. In some cases, we can even classify all such knots. We also show…

Alexander's and Markov's theorems state that any link type in $R^3$ is represented by a closed braid and that such representations are related by some elementary operations called Markov moves. We generalize the notion of a braid to that in…

We study a wide range of homologically-defined representations of surface braid groups and of mapping class groups of surfaces, including the Lawrence-Bigelow representations of the classical braid groups. These representations naturally…

We show that all positive contact surgeries on every Legendrian figure-eight knot in $(S^3, \xi_{\rm{std}})$ result in an overtwisted contact structure. The proof uses convex surface theory and invariants from Heegaard Floer homology.

Traditionally, knot theorists have considered projections of knots where there are two strands meeting at every crossing. A multi-crossing is a crossing where more than two strands meet at a single point, such that each strand bisects the…

In contrast with what happens for Legendrian embeddings, there always exist positive loops of Legendrian immersions.

Long and Moody gave a method of constructing representations of the braid group B_n. We discuss some ways to generalize their construction. One of these gives representations of subgroups of B_n, including the Gassner representation of the…

We linearize the Artin representation of the braid group given by (right) automorphisms of a free group providing a linear faithful representation of the braid group. This result is generalized to obtain linear representations for the…

Embedded Lagrangian cobordisms between Legendrian submanifolds are produced from isotopy, spinning, and handle attachment constructions that employ the technique of generating families. Moreover, any Legendrian with a generating family has…

We obtain upper and lower bounds for the relative Gromov width of Lagrangian cobordisms between Legendrian submanifolds. Upper bounds arise from the existence of $J$-holomorphic disks with boundary on the Lagrangian cobordism that pass…

We study a subset of square free positive braids and we give a few algebraic characterizations of them and one geometric characterization: the set of positive braids whose closures are unlinks. We describe canonical forms of these braids…

In classical knot theory, Markov's theorem gives a way of describing all braids with isotopic closures as links in $\mathbb{R}^3$. We present a version of Markov's theorem for extended loop braids with closure in $B^3 \times S^1$, as a…

Let n be a positive integer. We provide a Khovanov homology proof of the following classical fact: If the closure of an n-strand braid is the n-component unlink, then the braid is trivial.

We construct a Legendrian version of Envelope theory. A tangential family is a 1-parameter family of rays emanating tangentially from a smooth plane curve. The Legendrian graph of the family is the union of the Legendrian lifts of the…

We prove some necessary conditions for a link to be either concordant to a quasi-positive link, quasi-positive, positive, or the closure of a positive braid. The main applications of our results are a characterisation of positive links with…

For a Legendrian $(2,n)$ torus knot or link with maximal Thurston-Bennequin number, Ekholm, Honda, and K\'alm\'an constructed $C_n$ exact Lagrangian fillings, where $C_n$ is the $n$-th Catalan number. We show that these exact Lagrangian…