An unknotting lemma for systems of arcs in F\(\times I\) (Q908550)

A collection of arcs in a product \(F\times I\) of a closed surface and the unit interval is said to be unknotted if there is an isotopy of \(F\times I\) taking the collection to one of the form \(\{p_ 1,...,p_ n\}\times I\). It is shown that this is equivalent to the condition that the closure of the complement of a regular neighborhood of each subcollection of the arcs be a handlebody.