On the singular braid monoid

Garside's results and the existense of the greedy normal form for braids are shown to be true for the singular braid monoid. An analogue of the presentation of J. S. Birman, K. H. Ko and S. J. Lee for the braid group is also obtained for this monoid.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

On Homology of Virtual Braids and Burau Representation

Virtual knots arise in the study of Gauss diagrams and Vassiliev invariants of usual knots. Virtual braids correspond naturally to virtual knots. We consider the group of virtual braids on n strings VB_n and its Burau representation, in particular we study their homological properties. We prove that the plus-construction of the classifying space of the virtual braid group on the infinite number of strings is an infinite loop space which is equivalent to a product of Q(S^0), S^1 and an infinite loop space Y. Connections with the K-functor of the integers are discussed.Comment: 17 pages, AMSTeX, 17 figure

On the inverse braid monoid

Inverse braid monoid describes a structure on braids where the number of strings is not fixed. So, some strings of initial $n$ may be deleted. In the paper we show that many properties and objects based on braid groups may be extended to the inverse braid monoids. Namely we prove an inclusion into a monoid of partial monomorphisms of a free group. This gives a solution of the word problem. Another solution is obtained by an approach similar to that of Garside. We give also the analogues of Artin presentation with two generators and Sergiescu graph-presentations.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

On Vassiliev Invariants for Links in Handlebodies

The notion of Vassiliev algebra in case of hanlebodies is developed. The analogues of the results of John Baez for links in handlebodies are proved. That means that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between the special class of finite type invariants of links in hanlebodies and the homogeneous Markov traces on Vassiliev algebras. This approach uses the singular braid monoid and braid group in a handlebody and the generalizations of the theorem of J. Alexander and the theorem of A. A. Markov for singular links and braids and the relative version of Markov's theorem.Comment: 11 pages, AMSTeX, 3 figure

About presentations of braid groups and their generalizations

In the paper we give a survey of rather new notions and results which generalize classical ones in the theory of braids. Among such notions are various inverse monoids of partial braids. We also observe presentations different from standard Artin presentation for generalizations of braids. Namely, we consider presentations with small number of generators, Sergiescu graph-presentations and Birman-Ko-Lee presentation. The work of V.V.Chaynikov on the word and conjugacy problems for the singular braid monoid in Birman-Ko-Lee generators is described as well.Comment: 35 pages, 18 figure

Three-page embeddings of singular knots

Construction of a semigroup with 15 generators and 84 relations is given. The center of this semigroup is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of all isotopy classes of non-oriented singular knots (links with finitely many double intersections in general position) in three-dimensional space.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Yamada Polynomial and Khovanov Cohomology

For any graph G we define bigraded cohomology groups whose graded Euler characteristic is a multiple of the Yamada polynomial of G.Comment: 12 page

On the Lie algebras of surface pure braid groups

We consider the Lie algebra associated with the descending central series filtration of the pure braid group of a closed surface of arbitrary genus. R. Bezrukavnikov gave a presentation of this Lie algebra over the rational numbers. We show that his presentation remains true for this Lie algebra itself, i.e. over integers.Comment: 5 page

On the inverse mapping class monoids

Braid groups and mapping class groups have many features in common. Similarly to the notion of inverse braid monoid inverse mapping class monoid is defined. It concerns surfaces with punctures, but among given $n$ punctures several can be omitted. This corresponds to braids where the number of strings is not fixed. In the paper we give the analogue of the Dehn-Nilsen-Baer theorem, propose a presentation of the inverse mapping class monoid for a punctured sphere and study the word problem. This shows that certain properties and objects based on mapping class groups may be extended to the inverse mapping class monoids. We also give an analogues of Artin presentation with two generators.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

On the Lie algebras associated with pure mapping class groups

Pure braid groups and pure mapping class groups of a punctured sphere have many features in common. In the paper the graded Lie algebra of the descending central series of the pure mapping class of a sphere is studied. A simple presentation of this Lie algebra is obtained.Comment: 7 page