Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 September 2014
In this paper we introduce new local symbols, which we call 4-function local symbols. We formulate reciprocity laws for them. These reciprocity laws are proven using a new method - multidimensional iterated integrals. Besides providing reciprocity laws for the new 4-function local symbols, the same method works for proving reciprocity laws for the Parshin symbol. Both the new 4-function local symbols and the Parshin symbol can be expressed as a finite product of newly defined bi-local symbols, each of which satisfies a reciprocity law. The K-theoretic variant of the first 4-function local symbol is defined in the Appendix. It differs by a sign from the one defined via iterated integrals. Both the sign and the K-theoretic variant of the 4-function local symbol satisfy reciprocity laws, whose proof is based on Milnor K-theory (see the Appendix). The relation of the 4-function local symbols to the double free loop space of the surface is given by iterated integrals over membranes.