Finite subset spaces of graphs and punctured surfaces
Abstract
The kth finite subset space of a topological space X is the space exp_k X of non-empty finite subsets of X of size at most k, topologised as a quotient of X^k. The construction is a homotopy functor and may be regarded as a union of configuration spaces of distinct unordered points in X. We calculate the homology of the finite subset spaces of a connected graph Gamma, and study the maps (exp_k phi)_* induced by a map phi:Gamma -> Gamma' between two such graphs. By homotopy functoriality the results apply to punctured surfaces also. The braid group B_n may be regarded as the mapping class group of an n-punctured disc D_n, and as such it acts on H_*(exp_k D_n). We prove a structure theorem for this action, showing that the image of the pure braid group is nilpotent of class at most floor((n-1)/2).
Cite
@article{arxiv.math/0210315,
title = {Finite subset spaces of graphs and punctured surfaces},
author = {Christopher Tuffley},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0210315},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol3/agt-3-29.abs.html