The rack space
Authors:
Roger Fenn, Colin Rourke and Brian Sanderson
Journal:
Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 359 (2007), 701-740
MSC (2000):
Primary 55Q40, 57M25; Secondary 57Q45, 57R15, 57R20, 57R40
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1090/S0002-9947-06-03912-2
Published electronically:
August 24, 2006
MathSciNet review:
2255194
Full-text PDF Free Access
Abstract | References | Similar Articles | Additional Information
Abstract: The main result of this paper is a new classification theorem for links (smooth embeddings in codimension 2). The classifying space is the rack space and the classifying bundle is the first James bundle. We investigate the algebraic topology of this classifying space and report on calculations given elsewhere. Apart from defining many new knot and link invariants (including generalised James-Hopf invariants), the classification theorem has some unexpected applications. We give a combinatorial interpretation for $\pi _2$ of a complex which can be used for calculations and some new interpretations of the higher homotopy groups of the 3-sphere. We also give a cobordism classification of virtual links.
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Additional Information
Roger Fenn
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH, United Kingdom
Email:
R.A.Fenn@sussex.ac.uk
Colin Rourke
Affiliation:
Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
Email:
cpr@maths.warwick.ac.uk
Brian Sanderson
Affiliation:
Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
Email:
bjs@maths.warwick.ac.uk
Keywords:
Classifying space,
codimension 2,
cubical set,
James bundle,
link,
knot,
$\pi _2$,
rack
Received by editor(s):
August 1, 2003
Received by editor(s) in revised form:
November 24, 2004
Published electronically:
August 24, 2006
Article copyright:
© Copyright 2006
American Mathematical Society
The copyright for this article reverts to public domain 28 years after publication.
