Topology of equilateral polygon linkages in the Euclidean plane modulo isometry group (Q1976578)

An equilateral polygon linkage with \(n\geq 3\) vertices is a sequence \((u_1,\dots,u_n) \in(\mathbb{R}^2)^n\) with \(|u_i-u_{i+1} |=1\) for \(i=1,\dots, n-1\) and \(|u_1-u_n |=1\). Let \(C_n\) be the set of all these linkages. It is natural to identify two linkages \(u,v\in C_n\) if \(v\) is the image of \(u\) under a motion of the plane \(\mathbb{R}^2\), i.e. the author is interested in the space \(M_n':= C_n/G\) where \(G\) is the group of all motions of \(\mathbb{R}^2\). The aim of the paper under review is to describe some of the topological properties of the space \(M_n'\). There is a slight modification of this construction. In another paper of the author and \textit{M. Tezuka} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 50, No. 200, 463-470 (1999; Zbl 0961.57014)], the space \(M_n:= C_n/G^+\) was studied where \(G^+\) is the group of orientation preserving motions of \(\mathbb{R}^2\). This space is somewhat simpler than \(M_n'\). Moreover, the full group \(G\) is generated by \(G^+\) and just one reflection, hence \(M_n'=M_n/ \sigma\) for an involutorial homeomorphism \(\sigma\) of \(M_n\). Consequently, the main strategy of the current paper is to start from the known properties of \(M_n\), and to use these to get results on \(M_n'=M_n/ \sigma\). First, it is shown that \(M_n'\) is a manifold of dimension \(n-3\) if \(n\) is odd. If \(n\) is even, then \(M_n'\) is a manifold of dimension \(n-3\) with singularities corresponding to linkages with all vertices on one line in \(\mathbb{R}^2\). The author computes all rational homology groups \(H_q(M_n'; \mathbb{Q})\) for arbitrary \(n\geq 3\). The integral groups \(H_q(M_n'; \mathbb{Z})\) are almost completely determined if \(n\) is odd, i.e. if \(M_n'\) is a manifold. All groups \(H_q(M_n'; \mathbb{Z})\) with an odd \(n\) are known unless \(n\equiv 1(4)\) and \(q=(n-3)/2\). In the latter case, the author knows the rank of \(H_q(M_n'; \mathbb{Z})\), the torsion subgroup \(T\) is a 2-group and \(T\otimes \mathbb{Z}_2\) is a vector space over \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) of dimension \(\sum_{0\leq i\leq(n-5)/2} {n-1\choose i}\).