Skein relations for Milnor's \(\mu\)-invariants (Q2571392)

Two links are said to be link-homotopic if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of crossing changes and isotopies, where no crossing change can occur between distinct components of the link. A celebrated example of link-homotopy invariants are the \(\mu\)-invariants introduced by \textit{J. Milnor} [Ann. Math. (2) 59, 177-195 (1954; Zbl 0055.16901)] and see also [Princeton Math. Ser. 12, 280-306 (1957; Zbl 0080.16901)]. An \(n\)-component string link \(L\) is an ordered collection of \(n\) disjoint arcs properly embedded in \(D^2 \times [0,1]\) in such a way that the \(i\)-th arc ends in the points \(p_i \times\{0,1\},\) where \(p_i=(x_i,0)\) are some prescribed points on the \(x\)-axis, enumerated in the natural order \(x_1 < x_2 < \cdots < x_n.\) Milnor's invariants classify string links up to link-homotopy, see \textit{N. Habegger} and \textit{X.-S. Lin} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 3, No. 2, 389-419 (1990; Zbl 0704.57016)]. In the paper under review the author deduces skein relations for Milnor's \(\mu\)-invariants of string links.