The closed chains with spherical configuration spaces (Q455026)

The authors investigate the configuration space of equilateral \(n\)-gons in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). The polygons are restricted so that any edge has unit length and the angle at any vertex is a fixed value \(\theta\). These polygons are considered to be a mathematical model of \(n\)-membered ringed hydrocarbon molecules with rigidity. The main result of this paper is that when \(n=5, 6, 7\), the configuration space is homeomorphic to the sphere \(S^{n-4}\), if \(\frac{n-4}{n-2}\pi < \theta < \frac{n-2}{n}\pi\). This theorem also holds for \(n=8\) and \(\frac{5}{7}\pi \leq \theta < \frac{3}{4}\pi\).