Download or read book Knots, Braids, and Mapping Class Groups -- Papers Dedicated to Joan S. Birman written by Jane Gilman and published by American Mathematical Soc.. This book was released on 2001 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are a number of specialties in low-dimensional topology that can find in their ``family tree'' a common ancestry in the theory of surface mappings. These include knot theory as studied through the use of braid representations, and 3-manifolds as studied through the use of Heegaard splittings. The study of the surface mapping class group (the modular group) is of course a rich subject in its own right, with relations to many different fields of mathematics and theoreticalphysics. However, its most direct and remarkable manifestation is probably in the vast area of low-dimensional topology. Although the scene of this area has been changed dramatically and experienced significant expansion since the original publication of Professor Joan Birman's seminal work,Braids, Links,and Mapping Class Groups(Princeton University Press), she brought together mathematicians whose research span many specialties, all of common lineage. The topics covered are quite diverse. Yet they reflect well the aim and spirit of the conference: to explore how these various specialties in low-dimensional topology have diverged in the past 20-25 years, as well as to explore common threads and potential future directions of development. This volume is dedicated to Joan Birman by hercolleagues with deep admiration and appreciation of her contribution to low-dimensional topology.