Knots, Links, Braids and 3-Manifolds: An Introduction to the New Invariants in Low-Dimensional Topology (Translations of Mathematical Monographs) - Softcover

V. V. Prasolov; A. B. Sossinsky

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821808982 ISBN 13: 9780821808986

Publisher: Amer Mathematical Society, 1996

Synopsis

This book is an introduction to the remarkable work of Vaughan Jones and Victor Vassiliev on knot and link invariants and its recent modifications and generalizations, including a mathematical treatment of Jones-Witten invariants. It emphasizes the geometric aspects of the theory and treats topics such as braids, homeomorphisms of surfaces, surgery of 3-manifolds (Kirby calculus), and branched coverings. This attractive geometric material, interesting in itself yet not previously gathered in book form, constitutes the basis of the last two chapters, where the Jones-Witten invariants are constructed via the rigorous skein algebra approach (mainly due to the Saint Petersburg school). <P>Unlike several recent monographs, where all of these invariants are introduced by using the sophisticated abstract algebra of quantum groups and representation theory, the mathematical prerequisites are minimal in this book. Numerous figures and problems make it suitable as a course text and for self-study.

About this title

About the Author

This book is an introduction to the remarkable work of Vaughan Jones and Victor Vassiliev on knot and link invariants and its recent modifications and generalizations, including a mathematical treatment of Jones-Witten invariants. It emphasizes the geometric aspects of the theory and treats topics such as braids, homeomorphisms of surfaces, surgery of 3-manifolds (Kirby calculus), and branched coverings. This attractive geometric material, interesting in itself yet not previously gathered in book form, constitutes the basis of the last two chapters, where the Jones-Witten invariants are constructed via the rigorous skein algebra approach (mainly due to the Saint Petersburg school).

Edition details

• Publisher: Amer Mathematical Society
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0821808982
• ISBN 13: 9780821808986
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 250