The Calculus of Braids Dehornoy Hardback Cambridge University Press

The Calculus of BraidsAuthor(s): Patrick Dehornoy\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781108843942, 978-1108843942\nSynopsis\nEveryone knows what braids are, whether they be made of hair, knitting wool, or electrical cables. However, it is not so evident that we can construct a theory about them, [url] to elaborate a coherent and mathematically interesting corpus of results concerning them. This book demonstrates that there is a resoundingly positive response to this question: braids are fascinating objects, with a variety of rich mathematical properties and potential applications. A special emphasis is placed on the algorithmic aspects and on what can be called the 'calculus of braids', in particular the problem of isotopy. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, with most results being established from scratch. An appendix at the end of each chapter gives a detailed introduction to the more advanced n.