We construct a sequence of concordance
invariants for classical links, which depend on the peripheral isomorphism type
of the nilpotent quotients of the link fundamental group. The terminology stems
from the fact that we replace the Magnus expansion in the definition of Milnor's
$\bar{\mu}$-invariants by the similar Campbell–Hausdorff expansion. The
main point is that we introduce a new universal indeterminacy, which depends only
on the number of components of the link. The Campbell–Hausdorff invariants
are new, effectively computable and can efficiently distinguish (unordered and
unoriented) isotopy types of links, as we indicate on several families of closed
braid examples. They also satisfy certain natural dependence relations, which
generalize well-known symmetries of the $\bar{\mu}$-invariants.
1991
Mathematics Subject Classification: 81S25, 46L10, 46L50, 47A60.