Abstract: Given a string of npositive real numbers we define to be the moduli space of closed planar
polygonal curves in having side lengths
modulo isometry group. In this paper, we
determine the rational homology groups of
Our result has the following application: We
set and
It is known that
the mod-2 homology groups of and are isomorphic, but
the mod-2 cohomology rings of these spaces are not isomorphic. We show that the
rational homology groups of these spaces are not isomorphic.
Keywords and phrases: polygon spaces, rational homology, varieties of linkages.
