English

The defect of Bennequin-Eliashberg inequality and Bennequin surfaces

Geometric Topology 2017-10-19 v4

Abstract

For a null-homologous transverse link T\mathcal T in a general contact manifold with an open book, we explore strongly quasipositive braids and Bennequin surfaces. We define the defect δ(T)\delta(\mathcal T) of the Bennequin-Eliashberg inequality. We study relations between δ(T)\delta(\mathcal T) and minimal genus Bennequin surfaces of T\mathcal T. In particular, in the disk open book case, under some large fractional Dehn twist coefficient assumption, we show that δ(T)=N\delta(\mathcal T)=N if and only if T\mathcal T is the boundary of a Bennequin surface with exactly NN negatively twisted bands. That is, the Bennequin inequality is sharp if and only if it is the closure of a strongly quasipositive braid.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1703.09322,
  title  = {The defect of Bennequin-Eliashberg inequality and Bennequin surfaces},
  author = {Tetsuya Ito and Keiko Kawamuro},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.09322},
  year   = {2017}
}

Comments

31 pages, 13 figures