Here is the Example 4.2.3 performed. I'm using the translator to make comparison with the BH paper easier. % CC -o translate translate.c % translate Edges: { 1 2 3 4 5 11 12 13 } Periphery: { 1 2 3 4 5 } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < -1 2 12 11 > < -2 1 13 > < 3 -3 -11 > < 4 -4 -12 > < 5 -5 -13 > } Map: { 1 -> ( 1 ) 2 -> ( 2 ) 11 -> ( 12 ) 12 -> ( 2 13 ) 13 -> ( 1 12 ) 3 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 5 -> ( 4 ) } Equator: ( -2 777 1 ) How many names to be translated? 5 Input the translations (for example: -2 alpha), one per line. 1 alpha 2 beta 11 x 12 y 13 z ( 1 2 11 12 13 ) ( alpha beta x y z ) Edges: { alpha beta 3 4 5 x y z } Periphery: { alpha beta 3 4 5 } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < -alpha beta y x > < -beta alpha z > < 3 -3 -x > < 4 -4 -y > < 5 -5 -z > } Map: { alpha -> ( alpha ) beta -> ( beta ) x -> ( y ) y -> ( beta z ) z -> ( alpha y ) 3 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 5 -> ( 4 ) } Equator: ( -beta 777 alpha ) % % % % CC -o justAbsorb justAbsorb.c & % justAbsorb < example423.dat Edges: { 1 2 3 4 5 11 12 13 } Periphery: { 1 2 3 4 5 } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < -1 2 12 11 > < -2 1 13 > < 3 -3 -11 > < 4 -4 -12 > < 5 -5 -13 > } Map: { 1 -> ( 1 ) 2 -> ( 2 ) 11 -> ( 12 ) 12 -> ( 2 13 ) 13 -> ( 1 12 ) 3 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 5 -> ( 4 ) } Equator: ( -2 777 1 ) G0 = ( { 5 } { 4 } { 3 } { 2 1 } ) Absorbing into P Lk(G0,G) = ( < ( -13 ) > < ( -12 ) > < ( -11 ) > < ( 12 ) ( 11 13 ) > ) Edges: { 2 3 4 5 11 12 13 6 } Periphery: { 2 3 4 5 6 } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < 6 2 12 > < -3 -11 3 > < 4 -4 -12 > < 5 -5 -13 > < -2 -6 11 13 > } Map: { 11 -> ( 12 ) 12 -> ( 13 ) 13 -> ( 12 ) 5 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 3 -> ( 4 ) -2 -> ( 6 ) 6 -> ( -2 ) } Equator: ( -2 777 2 -13 ) % % % translate Edges: { 2 3 4 5 11 12 13 6 } Periphery: { 2 3 4 5 6 } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < 6 2 12 > < -3 -11 3 > < 4 -4 -12 > < 5 -5 -13 > < -2 -6 11 13 > } Map: { 11 -> ( 12 ) 12 -> ( 13 ) 13 -> ( 12 ) 5 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 3 -> ( 4 ) -2 -> ( 6 ) 6 -> ( -2 ) } Equator: ( -2 777 2 -13 ) How many names to be translated? 5 Input the translations (for example: -2 alpha), one per line. 6 -alpha' 2 beta' 11 x' 12 y' 13 z' ( -6 2 11 12 13 ) ( alpha' beta' x' y' z' ) Edges: { beta' 3 4 5 x' y' z' alpha' } Periphery: { beta' 3 4 5 alpha' } Punctures: { 777 } Graph: { < -alpha' beta' y' > < -3 -x' 3 > < 4 -4 -y' > < 5 -5 -z' > < -beta' alpha' x' z' > } Map: { x' -> ( y' ) y' -> ( z' ) z' -> ( y' ) 5 -> ( 4 ) 4 -> ( 5 ) 3 -> ( 4 ) beta' -> ( alpha' ) alpha' -> ( beta' ) } Equator: ( -beta' 777 beta' -z' ) %