52 research outputs found
Nielsen theory, braids and fixed points of surface homeomorphisms
AbstractWe study two problems in Nielsen fixed point theory using Artin's braid groups and the Nielsen–Thurston classification of surface homeomorphismsup to isotopy. The first is that of distinguishing Reidemeister classes of free group automorphisms realized by a braid (and thus induced by homeomorphismsof the 2-disc relative to a finite invariant set), for which we give a necessary and sufficient condition in terms of a conjugacy problem in the braid group. Consequently, one may use any braid conjugacy invariant (those of Garside's algorithm, linking numbers, topological entropy, etc.) and any link invariant (Alexander polynomial, splittability, etc.) to distinguish Reidemeisterclasses, giving much stronger criteria than those already known.The second problem is that of deciding when two fixed points of a surface homeomorphismbelong to the same Nielsen fixed point class. We give two criteria, the first in terms of certain reducing curves which can be checked using the Bestvina–Handel algorithm, the second using the multi-variable Alexander polynomial of a link associated with the suspension of the homeomorphism.Finally we consider generalizations of Sharkovskii's theorem on the coexistence of periodic orbits of interval maps to homeomorphismsof the 2-disc. We show that for each n⩾5 there exists a pseudo-Anosovorientation-preservinghomeomorphismof the 2-disc relative to a periodic orbit of period n that does not have periodic orbits of all periods, with an analogous result for the 2-sphere
Topological fluid mechanics of point vortex motions
Topological techniques are used to study the motions of systems of point
vortices in the infinite plane, in singly-periodic arrays, and in
doubly-periodic lattices. The reduction of each system using its symmetries is
described in detail. Restricting to three vortices with zero net circulation,
each reduced system is described by a one degree of freedom Hamiltonian. The
phase portrait of this reduced system is subdivided into regimes using the
separatrix motions, and a braid representing the topology of all vortex motions
in each regime is computed. This braid also describes the isotopy class of the
advection homeomorphism induced by the vortex motion. The Thurston-Nielsen
theory is then used to analyse these isotopy classes, and in certain cases
strong conclusions about the dynamics of the advection can be made
Protected gates for topological quantum field theories
We study restrictions on locality-preserving unitary logical gates for
topological quantum codes in two spatial dimensions. A locality-preserving
operation is one which maps local operators to local operators --- for example,
a constant-depth quantum circuit of geometrically local gates, or evolution for
a constant time governed by a geometrically-local bounded-strength Hamiltonian.
Locality-preserving logical gates of topological codes are intrinsically fault
tolerant because spatially localized errors remain localized, and hence
sufficiently dilute errors remain correctable. By invoking general properties
of two-dimensional topological field theories, we find that the
locality-preserving logical gates are severely limited for codes which admit
non-abelian anyons; in particular, there are no locality-preserving logical
gates on the torus or the sphere with M punctures if the braiding of anyons is
computationally universal. Furthermore, for Ising anyons on the M-punctured
sphere, locality-preserving gates must be elements of the logical Pauli group.
We derive these results by relating logical gates of a topological code to
automorphisms of the Verlinde algebra of the corresponding anyon model, and by
requiring the logical gates to be compatible with basis changes in the logical
Hilbert space arising from local F-moves and the mapping class group.Comment: 50 pages, many figures, v3: updated to match published versio
Conjugacy in Garside groups I: Cyclings, powers, and rigidity
In this paper a relation between iterated cyclings and iterated powers of
elements in a Garside group is shown. This yields a characterization of
elements in a Garside group having a rigid power, where 'rigid' means that the
left normal form changes only in the obvious way under cycling and decycling.
It is also shown that, given X in a Garside group, if some power X^m is
conjugate to a rigid element, then m can be bounded above by ||\Delta||^3. In
the particular case of braid groups, this implies that a pseudo-Anosov braid
has a small power whose ultra summit set consists of rigid elements. This
solves one of the problems in the way of a polynomial solution to the conjugacy
decision problem (CDP) and the conjugacy search problem (CSP) in braid groups.
In addition to proving the rigidity theorem, it will be shown how this paper
fits into the authors' program for finding a polynomial algorithm to the
CDP/CSP, and what remains to be done.Comment: 41 page
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