On relations and homology of the Dehn quandle

Abstract

Isotopy classes of circles on an orientable surface $F$ of genus $g$ form a quandle $Q$ under the operation of Dehn twisting about such circles. We derive certain fundamental relations in the Dehn quandle and then consider a homology theory based on this quandle. We show how certain types of relations in the quandle translate into cycles and homology representatives in this homology theory, and characterize a large family of 2–cycles representing homology elements. Finally we draw connections to Lefschetz fibrations, showing isomorphism classes of such fibrations over a disk correspond to quandle homology classes in dimension 2, and discuss some further structures on the homology.