Scalar parabolic PDE's and braids

The comparison principle for scalar second order parabolic PDEs on functions u(t, x) admits a topological interpretation: pairs of solutions,

Morse theory on spaces of braids and Lagrangian dynamics

In the first half of the paper we construct a Morse-type theory on certain spaces of braid diagrams. We define a topological invariant of closed positive braids which is correlated with the existence of invariant sets of parabolic flows defined on discretized braid spaces. Parabolic flows, a type of one-dimensional lattice dynamics, evolve singular braid diagrams in such a way as to decrease their topological complexity; algebraic lengths decrease monotonically. This topological invariant is derived from a Morse-Conley homotopy index. In the second half of the paper we apply this technology to second order Lagrangians via a discrete formulation of the variational problem. This culminates in a very general forcing theorem for the existence of infinitely many braid classes of closed orbits

Braid Floer Homology

Area-preserving diffeomorphisms of a 2-disc can be regarded as time-1 maps of (non-autonomous) Hamiltonian flows on R/Z×D2. The periodic flow-lines define braid (conjugacy) classes, up to full twists. We examine the dynamics relative to such braid classes and define a new invariant for such classes, the braid Floer homology. This refinement of Floer homology, originally used for the Arnol'd Conjecture, yields a Morse-type forcing theory for periodic points of area-preserving diffeomorphisms of the 2-disc based on braiding.Contributions of this paper include (1) a monotonicity lemma for the behavior of the nonlinear Cauchy-Riemann equations with respect to algebraic lengths of braids; (2) establishment of the topological invariance of the resulting braid Floer homology; (3) a shift theorem describing the effect of twisting braids in terms of shifting the braid Floer homology; (4) computation of examples; and (5) a forcing theorem for the dynamics of Hamiltonian disc maps based on braid Floer homology