Fast algorithmic Nielsen-Thurston classification of four-strand braids

We give an algorithm which decides the Nielsen-Thurston type of a given four-strand braid. The complexity of our algorithm is quadratic with respect to word length. The proof of its validity is based on a result which states that for a reducible 4-braid which is as short as possible within its conju...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Calvez, Matthieu, Wiest, Bert
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/47584
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11441/47584
https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218216511009959
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Braid
Reducible braid
Nielsen-Thurston classification
Algorithm
Descripción
Sumario:We give an algorithm which decides the Nielsen-Thurston type of a given four-strand braid. The complexity of our algorithm is quadratic with respect to word length. The proof of its validity is based on a result which states that for a reducible 4-braid which is as short as possible within its conjugacy class (short in the sense of Garside), reducing curves surrounding three punctures must be round or almost round. As an application, we give a polynomial time solution to the conjugacy problem for non-pseudo-Anosov four-strand braids.