Stellar Braiding
arXiv:math/0412531
Abstract
We construct a one-dimensional deformation retract of the unordered k-point configuration space of a star S. This retract suggests an explicit set of free generators Beta_k for the corresponding braid group of the star B_k and shows that the natural map from B_k-1 to B_k sends Beta_k-1 to Beta_k injectively.
9 pages, 4 figures