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Abstract

Given a finite simple connected graph $\Gamma$, the graphical configuration space $\mathrm{Conf}_{\Gamma}(X)$ is the space of collections of points in $X$ indexed by the vertices of $\Gamma$, where points corresponding to adjacent vertices must be distinct. When $X=\mathbb{R}^d$ and the points are replaced by small disks, the resulting spaces for all possible graphs fit together into an algebraic structure that extends the little disks operad, called the little disks contractad $\mathcal{D}_d$. In this paper, we investigate the homotopical and algebraic properties of the little disks contractad $\mathcal{D}_d$. We construct and study Fulton-MacPherson compactifications of graphical configuration spaces, which provide a convenient model for $\mathcal{D}_d$ within the class of compact manifolds with boundary. Using these and wonderful compactifications, we prove that $\mathcal{D}_d$ is formal in the category of (Hopf) contractads for $d=1$, $d=2$, and for chordal graphs for any $d$. We also identify the first obstructions to coformality in the case of cyclic graphs. In addition, we give a combinatorial description of the cell structure of $\mathcal{D}_2$ and present applications to the study of graphical configuration spaces $\mathrm{Conf}_{\Gamma}(X)$ using the language of twisted algebras.