English

Do Link Polynomials Detect Causality In Globally Hyperbolic Spacetimes?

Geometric Topology 2021-03-31 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology Mathematical Physics math.MP

Abstract

Let XX be a (2+1)(2+1)-dimensional globally hyperbolic spacetime with a Cauchy surface Σ\Sigma whose universal cover is homeomorphic to R2\mathbb{R}^2. We provide empirical evidence suggesting that the Jones polynomial detects causality in XX. We introduce a new invariant of certain tangles related to the Conway polynomial, and prove that the Conway polynomial does not detect the connected sum of two Hopf links among relevant 3-component links, which suggests that the Conway polynomial does not detect causality in the scenario described.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.09415,
  title  = {Do Link Polynomials Detect Causality In Globally Hyperbolic Spacetimes?},
  author = {Samantha Allen and Jacob H. Swenberg},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.09415},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

18 pages, 14 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-23T20:21:05.104Z