On Markov's Theorem

Abstract

We give a new proof of Markov's classical theorem relating any two closed braid representations of the same knot or link. The proof is based upon ideas in a forthcoming paper by the authors, "Stabilization in the braid groups". The new proof of the classical Markov theorem is used by Nancy Wrinkle in her forthcoming manuscript "The Markov Theorem for transverse knots".

16 pages, 10 figures