Algebra Seminar: Scherich -- An algorithm to Detect Non-Order Preserving Braids

Nancy Scherich (Elon University) will be speaking in the algebra seminar next week.  We
will go out for lunch after the talk---all are welcome to join! 

When: Friday 25 October, 12-1pm 

Where: Carslaw 275 

Title: An algorithm to Detect Non-Order Preserving Braids 

Abstract:This grad student friendly talk will be in the intersection of algebra in
topology.  We will start with an introduction of the braid groups and the notion of
group orderability.  Viewing the braid group as a subgroup of the automorphism group of
the free group, we can ask if a braid preserves a bi-order of the free group, or not.
 We will learn how this notion of order preserving plays an interesting role in knot
theory and 3-manifold theory.  We will conclude with a new algorithm to detect when a
braid is not considered order preserving and see some consequences of this algorithm.