The integral cohomology of the group of loops. (Q2501698)

Let \(L_n\) be a collection of \(n\) unknotted, unlinked circles in the \(3\)-space, and let \(P\Sigma_n\) be the group of motions of \(L_n\) where each circle ends back to its original position. The authors compute the integral cohomology ring of \(P\Sigma_n\). Since \(\pi_1(S^3\setminus L_n)\cong F_n\) (the free group on \(n\) letters) there is a homomorphism \(P\Sigma_n\to\Aut(\pi_1(S^3\setminus L_n))\cong\Aut(F_n)\), which is injective, giving a representation of \(P\Sigma_n\) as a group of free group automorphisms. Let \(OP\Sigma_n\) be the image of \(P\Sigma_n\) in \(\text{Out}(F_n)\) under the above map. The authors compute the integral cohomology ring of \(OP\Sigma_n\) by constructing a simplicial contractible space \(MM_n\) with a suitable action of \(OP\Sigma_n\) to obtain: Main Theorem. The Poincaré series for \(H^*(OP\Sigma_n;\mathbb{Z})\) is \(p(z)=(1+nz)^{n-2}\). Next, by applying the Lyndon-Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence to the short exact sequence of groups \(1\to F_n\to P\Sigma_n\to OP\Sigma_n\to 1\) they obtain: Theorem. The cohomology of \(H^*(P\Sigma_n;\mathbb{Z})\) is generated by one-dimensional classes \(\alpha^*_{ij}\) where \(i\neq j\), subject to the relations (1) \(\alpha^*_{ij}\wedge\alpha^*_{ij}=0\), (2) \(\alpha^*_{ij}\wedge\alpha^*_{ji}=0\), and (3) \(\alpha^*_{kj}\wedge\alpha^*_{ji}=(\alpha^*_{kj}-\alpha^*_{ij})\wedge\alpha^*_{ki}\).