Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Geometry And Topology Of Moduli Spaces Of Multi-Polygonal Linkages, Michael Edward Holcomb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The geometric, topological, and symplectic properties of moduli spaces (spaces of configurations modulo rotations and translations) of polygonal linkages have been studied by Kapovich, Millson, and Kamiyama, et. al. One can form a polygonal linkage by taking two free linkages and identifying initial and terminal vertices. This can be generalized so that one takes three free linkages and identifies initial and terminal vertices. Then one obtains a linkage which contains multiple polygons, any two of which have shared edges. The geometric and topological properties of moduli spaces of these multi-polygonal linkages are studied. These spaces turn out to be compact …