Mixed configuration spaces, fixed points and Loop braid groups

Abstract

We introduce the notion of mixed configuration spaces of the $3$-ball. That is, we consider both distinct circles and distinct points in the interior of the $3$-ball and we prove that the projection onto the configuration space of circles of the $3$-ball is a locally trivial fibration. The key idea for defining the mixed configuration spaces is to study fixed points of orientation-preserving homeomorphism of the $3$-ball that leave invariant a trivial link of $n$ components in the interior of the $3$-ball. In particular, we prove that two fixed points are Nielsen equivalent if and only if the associated loop braids are conjugate by an element of a distinguished free subgroup of rank $n$. This result stands as a $3$-dimensional counterpart of the $2$-dimensional result where fixed points of homeomorphisms of the punctured disc are characterized in terms of braid elements of the classical Artin braid group.

arXiv comment17 pages, 1 figure