Lissajous 3-braids

Abstract

We classify 3-braids arising from collision-free choreographic motions of 3 bodies on Lissajous plane curves, and present a parametrization in terms of levels and (Christoffel) slopes. Each of these Lissajous 3-braids represents a pseudo-Anosov mapping class whose dilatation increases when the level ascends in the natural numbers or when the slope descends in the Stern–Brocot tree. We also discuss 4-symbol frieze patterns that encode cutting sequences of geodesics along the Farey tessellation in relation to odd continued fractions of quadratic surds for the Lissajous 3-braids.