Graph 4-braid groups and Massey products (Q897983)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a graph viewed as a \(1\)-dimensional CW complex, and denote by \(\mathrm{UD}_n\Gamma\) the unordered discrete configuration space of \(n\) objects on \(\Gamma\). Suppose that the unordered topological configuration space of \(n\) objects on \(\Gamma\) deformation retracts onto \(\mathrm{UD}_n\Gamma\). Define the graph \(n\) braid group \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma:= \pi_1(\mathrm{UD}_n\Gamma)\), the fundamental group of \(\mathrm{UD}_n\Gamma\). The goal of the paper under review is to study \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma\) when \(\Gamma\) does not contain certain \(n\)-nuclei. Specifically, an important question is when \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma\) is a right-angled Artin group. The authors give two main theorems in the paper. Theorem 1.2 says that when \(\Gamma\) does not contain a certain set of \(n\)-nuclei, then \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma\) is right-angled Artin, while Theorem 1.3 gives certain \(n\)-nuclei in \(\Gamma\) which guarantee that \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma\) is not right-angled Artin. These results use a variety of techniques and are computationally intense. Theorem 1.3 involves the use of triple Massey products. Section 2 of the paper is devoted to developing the results needed concerning these triple products in order to prove Theorem 1.3. In Section 3, the tools found in discrete Morse theory are utilized to compute a certain presentation of \(\mathrm{B}_n\Gamma\). These computations and calculations are applied to prove these results found in Sections 4 and 5.