Related papers: The Multivariable Alexander Polynomial for a Close…
We present a reduced Burau-like representation for the mixed braid group on one strand representing links in lens spaces and show how to calculate the Alexander polynomial of a link directly from the mixed braid.
It is shown how Fiedler's `small state-sum' invariant for a braid can be calculated from the 2-variable Alexander polynomial of the link which consists of the closed braid together with the braid axis.
The Burau representation of the braid group can be used to recover the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid. We define twisted Burau maps and use them to compute twisted Alexander polynomials.
It is well known that the Burau representation of the braid group can be used to recover the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid. We define $L^2$-Burau maps and use them to compute some $L^2$-Alexander torsions of links. As an…
We show how Conway's multivariable potential function can be constructed using braids and the reduced Gassner representation. The resulting formula is a multivariable generalization of a construction, due to Kassel-Turaev, of the…
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 give a formula of the colored Alexander invariant in terms of the homological representation of the braid groups which we call truncated Lawrence's representation. This formula generalizes the famous Burau representation formula of the…
This article is based on the lectures in the Winter Braids V (Pau, Feb. 2015). Main puposel of this is to explain how to compute twisted Alexander polynomials for non-experts.
We describe symmetries of the braid monodromy decomposition for a class of plane curves defined over reals including the real curves with no real points and proving new divisibility relations for Alexander invariants of such curves.
We prove that the Alexander polynomials of certain families of alternating 4-braid knots satisfy Fox's Trapezoidal Conjecture. Moreover, we give explicit formulas for the signature and for the first 4 coefficients of the Alexander…
We develop a diagrammatic formalism for calculating the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid as a state-sum. Our main tools are the Markov trace formulas for the HOMFLY-PT polynomial and Young's semi-normal representations of the…
Recently, Bigelow defined a diagrammatic method for calculating the Alexander polynomial of a knot or link by resolving crossings in a planar algebra. I will present my multivariate version of Bigelow's calculation. The advantage to my…
A previous work of A. Conway and the author introduced $L^2$-Burau maps of braids, which are generalizations of the Burau representation whose coefficients live in a more general group ring than the one of Laurent polynomials. This same…
We show that 3-braid links with given (non-zero) Alexander or Jones polynomial are finitely many, and can be effectively determined. We classify among closed 3-braids strongly quasipositive and fibered ones, and show that 3-braid links have…
A Gauss diagram is a simple, combinatorial way to present a link. It is known that any Vassiliev invariant may be obtained from a Gauss diagram formula that involves counting subdiagrams of certain combinatorial types. In this paper we…
A tangle is an oriented 1-submanifold of the cylinder whose endpoints lie on the two disks in the boundary of the cylinder. Using an algebraic tool developed by Lescop, we extend the Burau representation of braids to a functor from the…
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…
We propose an algorithm for deciding whether a given braid is pseudo-Anosov, reducible, or periodic. The algorithm is based on Garside's weighted decomposition and is polynomial-time in the word-length of an input braid. Moreover, a…
Braidoids generalize the classical braids and form a counterpart theory to the theory of planar knotoids, just as the theory of braids does for the theory of knots. In this paper, we introduce basic notions of braidoids, a closure operation…
We give a new construction of the one-variable Alexander polynomial of an oriented knot or link, and show that it generalizes to a vector valued invariant of oriented tangles.