A generalization of the Turaev cobracket and the minimal self-intersection number of a curve on a surface (Q374062)

\textit{V. G. Turaev} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 24, No. 6, 635--704 (1991; Zbl 0758.57011)] conjectured that the \(\Delta(\alpha)\) cobracket is zero if and only if the class is a power of a simple class. Here \(\Delta(\alpha)\) denotes the cobracket of a Lie bialgebra structure on the free \(\mathbb{Z}\)-module generated by nontrivial free homotopy classes of loops on a surface. Unfortunately, Turaev's conjecture was shown to be false by counter examples constructed by \textit{M. Chas} [Topology 43, No. 3, 543--568 (2004; Zbl 1050.57014)]. Here the author reconsiders Turaev's conjecture and shows that it is almost true by defining a generalization of \(\Delta\), called \(\mu\), which is similar to the Andersen-Mattes-Reshetikhin algebra of chord diagrams. It is shown that Turaev's conjecture is true on all orientable surfaces when \(\Delta\) is replaced with \(\mu\). It is also shown that \(\mu(\alpha)\) gives an explicit formula for the minimum number of self-intersection points of a loop in \(\alpha\). It is noted that as \(\mu\) satisfies certain identities, although it is not a cobracket, \(\mu\) behaves like a Lie cobracket for the Andersen-Mattes-Reshetikhin Poisson algebra.