Vassiliev invariants I: Braid groups and rational homotopy theory
Abstract
Description
We get a detailed account of Vassiliev type invariants starting with Chen's theory of iterated integrals and Malcev's completion of discrete groups. The canonical injection of the group of pure braids into its completion is identified with the universal Kontsevich-Vassiliev invariant.Further we discuss the extension of this morphism to the whole braid group and the multiplication law for the last one.
expository paper, uuencoded PS file
expository paper, uuencoded PS file