Related papers: Seifert surfaces, Commutators and Vassiliev invari…

We prove that the knot invariant induced by a $\Bbb Z$-homology 3-sphere invariant of order $\leq k$ in Ohtsuki's sense, where $k\geq 4$, is of order $\leq k-2$. The method developed in our computation shows that there is no $\Bbb…

We show that (as conjectured by Lin and Wang) when a Vassiliev invariant of type $m$ is evaluated on a knot projection having $n$ crossings, the result is bounded by a constant times $n^m$. Thus the well known analogy between Vassiliev…

In this paper we give a description of hypersurfaces with trivial ring $AK(S)$, introduced by the second author as following. Let $X$ be an affine variety and let $G(X)$ be the group generated by all $\Bbb {C}^+$-actions on $X$. Then…

Kashaev and Reshetikhin previously described a way to define holonomy invariants of knots using quantum $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ at a root of unity. These are generalized quantum invariants depend both on a knot $K$ and a representation of the…

We compare the deformation theory and the analytic structure of the Seiberg-Witten moduli spaces of a K\"ahler surface to the corresponding components of the Hilbert scheme, and show that they are isomorphic. Next we show how to compute the…

The coefficients of twisted Alexander polynomials of a knot induce regular functions of the $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$-character variety. We prove that the function of the highest degree has a finite value at an ideal point which gives a minimal…

A persistent lamination for a knot K is an essential lamination in the complement of K, which remains essential after every non-trivial Dehn surgery along K. Having a persistent lamination implies, for example, that every manifold obtained…

We prove a conjecture of Durr, Kabanov and Okonek which provides an algebro-geometric theory of Seiberg-Witten invariants for all smooth projective surfaces. Our main technique is the cosection localization principle of virtual cycles.

In this paper we study embeddings of oriented connected closed surfaces in $\mathbb S^3$. We define a complete invariant, the fundamental span, for such embeddings, generalizing the notion of the peripheral system of a knot group. From the…

We calculate a large $k$ asymptotic expansion of the exact surgery formula for Witten's $SU(2)$ invariant of Seifert manifolds. The contributions of all flat connections are identified. An agreement with the 1-loop formula is checked. A…

We consider the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants or Chern-Simons partition function at or around roots of unity $q=e^{2\pi i \frac{1}{K}}$ with rational level $K=\frac{r}{s}$ where $r$ and $s$ are coprime integers. From the exact…

To a smooth, compact, oriented, properly-embedded surface in the $4$-ball, we define an invariant of its boundary-preserving isotopy class from the Khovanov homology of its boundary link. Previous work showed that when the boundary link is…

Roberts proved that a family of alternating, arborescent, prime knots each have at least $2^{2n-1}$ distinct minimal genus Seifert surfaces, where $n$ is the genus of the knot in question. We give a subfamily of these knots that have…

We study quantum $q$-series invariants of 3-manifolds $\widehat{Z}_\sigma$ of Gukov-Pei-Putrov-Vafa, using techniques from the theory of normal surface singularities such as splice diagrams. We show that the (suitably normalized) sum of all…

Using an obstruction based on Donaldson's theorem, we derive strong restrictions on when a Seifert fibered space $Y = F(e; \frac{p_1}{q_1}, \ldots, \frac{p_k}{q_k})$ over an orientable base surface $F$ can smoothly embed in $S^4$. This…

A formula for the difference of Vassiliev invariants of degree k+1 of two knots all of whose Vassiliev invariants of degree k agree is proven. The proof uses K. Habiro's C-moves and his theorem which relates them to Vassiliev invariants.

The theory of Gauss diagrams and Gauss diagram formulas provides convenient ways to compute knot invariants, such as coefficients of the HOMFLYPT polynomial. In \cite{4,5}, the author uses Gauss diagram formulas to find combinatorial…

A geometric argument is given to prove that the Seifert genus of a positive knot equals its slice genus. A combinatorial invariant, giving a lower bound for the slice genus, is formulated for arbitrary knots. Properties and applications of…

We use the 2-loop term of the Kontsevich integral to show that there are (many) knots with trivial Alexander polynomial which don't have a Seifert surface whose genus equals the rank of the Seifert form. This is one of the first…

We complete the proof of the Nisnevich conjecture in equal characteristic: for a smooth algebraic variety $X$ over a field $k$, a $k$-smooth divisor $D \subset X$, and a reductive $X$-group $G$ whose base change $G_D$ is totally isotropic,…