In this introduction let ; the generalization to other values of will be straightforward. Consider two sets of four items lying on a table, with the items in each set being arranged in a vertical line, and such that one set sits next to the other. (In the illustrations below, these are the black dots.) Using four strands, each item of the first set is connected with an item of the second set so that a one-to-one correspondence results. Such a connection is called a "braid". Often some strands will have to pass over or under others, and this is crucial: the following two connections are "different" braids: