ON THE CONJUGACY PROBLEM OF POSITIVE BRAIDS

Abstract

In the symmetric group Sn, we introduced the notion of crossing and linking numbers to each permutation. Then a unique factorization of a permutation is given due to its crossing number of its factors and how the factors are linked. Consequently we introduced a matrix associated to each permutation, which we used it as a tool to prove that positive braids with different matrices are not conjugate braids. Up to n≤5 it is proved that two positive permutation braids are conjugate if and only if they have the same matrix, and a complete calculation of these matrices with the associated link type is given.