No label defined (Q4945331)

The paper surveys a number of results on computations of homology groups of certain special complements of discriminant sets and of complexes of graphs and then demonstrates how some of the techniques can be applied to the problem of computation of higher cohomology of spaces of knotted curves in higher dimensions. The problems mentioned from homological combinatorics relate to the complex \(\Delta^l(k)\) of all \(l\)-connected graphs on \(k\) vertices and its analogue for hypergraphs, as well as techniques for investigating homology of spaces of plane arrangements via simplicial resolutions. Let \(\mathcal K\) be the collection of \(C^\infty\) smooth maps \(S^1\rightarrow{\mathbb R}^n\) and \(\Sigma\) be the subset consisting of those maps which do not define embeddings. Then \(H^0({\mathcal K}\smallsetminus\Sigma)\) is the set of invariants of knots. The paper lists some results for the first few computations of higher-dimensional cohomologies of the spaces of knots and long knots in \({\mathbb R}^n\) using the techniques highlighted from homological combinatorics. For example, for long knots, there are no cohomology classes of order 1, one of order 2 (dimension \(2n-6\)) and two more of order 3 (dimensions \(3n-9\) and \(3n-8\)), which reduce to known invariants for \(n=3\). More detailed accounts of each of the mentioned problems are referenced. The paper ends with a list of open problems, and a formulation of a general homotopy splitting conjecture applicable to many different types of discriminant spaces. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0929.00102].