The loop-linking number of line arrangements (Q2137869)

In the paper under review, the author studies a new invariant of the embedded topology of a complex line arrangement that generalizes the so-called \(\mathcal{I}\)-invariant which was introduced by Artal, Flores, and the author, that is called the loop-linking number. One can show that the loop-linking number is an invariant of the homeomorphism type of the arrangement complement. The first outcome of the paper gives two effective ways to compute this invariant, and both methods are based on the braid monodromy. As an application, the author finds an arithmetic Zariski pair of arrangements with \(11\) lines whose coefficients are in the \(5\)th cyclotomic field. Furthermore, the author shows that the fundamental groups of their complements are non-isomorphic.