Orbit configuration spaces associated to discrete subgroups of \(\mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb R)\) (Q734814)

This paper establishes a correspondence between three kinds of Lie algebras centered around the fundamental group of an orbit configuration space. The \(n\)-th orbit configuration space \(\text{Conf}^G({\mathbb H}^2,n)\) of a discrete subgroup \(G\) of \(\text{PSL}_2(\mathbb R )\), acting by linear fractional transformations on the upper half plane \({\mathbb H}^2\), is the space of \(n\)-tuples of points of \({\mathbb H}^2\), any two entries of which lie in disjoint orbits of \(G\). The group \(G\) is chosen to be the fundamental group of a closed Riemann surface \(S_g\), in which case \(P_n(S_g)\) denotes the fundamental group of \(\text{Conf}^G({\mathbb H}^2,n)\). This orbit configuration space turns out to enjoy many of the homotopy properties of the more classical configuration space of points in Euclidean space, in particular it has the homology of a product of bouquets of spheres (Theorem 1.2). The primitive elements in the loop space homology (over a field) of a connected space \(X\) form a graded Lie algebra written \(\operatorname{Prim} H_*(\Omega X)\). When \(X\) is the \(n\)-th orbit configuration space of \(G\) acting on \({\mathbb H}^2\times\mathbb C^q\), the authors identify \(\operatorname{Prim} H_*(\Omega X)\) up to a degree shift depending on \(q\), with \(E_0(P_n(S_g))\), the descending central series of \(P_n(S_g)\). This isomorphism is made quite explicit since the structure of the Lie algebra of primitives is completely determined in terms of generators and relations (Theorem 1.1). On the other hand, and to any surface \(S_g\), \textit{J. Gonzalez-Meneses} and \textit{L. Paris} associated an associative, non-commutative algebra of ``horizontal chord diagrams'' \(A_n^0(S_g)\) based on the construction of the Vassiliev invariants of knots [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 356, No. 1, 219--243 (2004; Zbl 1036.57003)]. The authors in this paper observe that this algebra \(A_n^0(S_g)\) is none but the universal enveloping algebra of \(E_0(P_n(S_g))\). Earlier work of the second author had already described the structure of the graded Lie algebra associated to the descending central series of the pure (Artin) braid group on \(n\)-strands corresponding here to \(\pi_1(\text{Conf}^G({\mathbb H}^2,n))\) when \(G\) is the trivial group. Finally the authors describe, similarly in terms of generators and ``infinitesimal braid relations'', the graded Poisson algebra structure of the rational homology of any iterated loop space \(\Omega^k\text{Conf}^G({\mathbb H}^2\times\mathbb C^q,n)\), provided \(1<k<2q+1\) (Theorem 1.4). This extends to the setting of surfaces earlier calculations of the first and third authors.