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A faithful representation of the braid groups
Geometry/Topology| Speaker: | Stephen Bigelow, Mathematics, UC Berkeley |
| Location: | 693 Kerr |
| Start time: | Wed, Jan 26 2000, 4:10PM |
The braid groups $B_n$ were originally defined as a tool for studying knots, but they have many alternative interpretations. I will use the definition of $B_n$ as the mapping class group of an $n$-punctured disc to define a finite dimensional representation. I will outline a proof that this representation is faithful. Finally, I will explore its relations to other representations and to knot theory.