Topological complexity of collision-free motion planning on surfaces

Abstract

AbstractThe topological complexity$\mathsf {TC}(X)$is a numerical homotopy invariant of a topological spaceXwhich is motivated by robotics and is similar in spirit to the classical Lusternik–Schnirelmann category ofX. Given a mechanical system with configuration spaceX, the invariant$\mathsf {TC}(X)$measures the complexity of motion planning algorithms which can be designed for the system. In this paper, we compute the topological complexity of the configuration space ofndistinct ordered points on an orientable surface, for both closed and punctured surfaces. Our main tool is a theorem of B. Totaro describing the cohomology of configuration spaces of algebraic varieties. For configuration spaces of punctured surfaces, this is used in conjunction with techniques from the theory of mixed Hodge structures.