Related papers: Positive knots have negative signature
We confirm the AJ conjecture [Ga04] that relates the A-polynomial and the colored Jones polynomial for those hyperbolic knots satisfying certain conditions. In particular, we show that the conjecture holds true for some classes of…
There is a nonribbon 2-link all of whose components are trivial 2-knots and one of whose band-sums is a nonribbon 2-knot.
In 1976, Rudolph asked whether algebraic knots are linearly independent in the knot concordance group. This paper uses twisted Blanchfield pairings to answer this question in the affirmative for new large families of algebraic knots.
A rational knot or link can be put into a standard alternating format which has horizontal and vertical twist sites (double helices). The number and type of these twist sites are determined by terms of next-to-highest $z$-degree in…
Twisted links are obtained from a base link by starting with a $n$-braid representation, choosing several ($m$) adjacent strands, and applying one or more twists to the set. Various restrictions may be applied, e.g. the twists may be…
Murasugi discovered two criteria that must be satisfied by the Alexander polynomial of a periodic knot. We generalize these to the case of twisted Alexander polynomials. Examples demonstrate the application of these new criteria, including…
In this paper we are interested in BB knots, namely knots and links where the bridge index equals the braid index. Supported by observations from experiments, it is conjectured that BB knots possess a special geometric/physical property…
Knot and link diagrams are projections of one or more 3-dimensional simple closed curves into $R^2$, such that no more than two points project to the same point in $R^2$. These diagrams are drawings of 4-regular plane multigraphs. Knots are…
We prove for a large class of knots that the meridional rank coincides with the bridge number. This class contains all knots whose exterior is a graph manifold. This gives a partial answer to a question of S. Cappell and J. Shaneson, see…
A special class of braids, called woven, is introduced and it is shown that every conjugation class of the braid group contains woven braids. In consequence, links can be presented as plats or closures of woven braids. Restricting on knots,…
Earlier work with Robert Gompf and Abigail Thompson classified, via a natural slope indexed by the rationals, all two-component links which contain the square knot and from which $(S^1 \times S^2) \# (S^1 \times S^2)$ can be obtained by…
We investigate the negative definite spin fillings of branched double covers of alternating knots. We derive some obstructions for the existence of such fillings and find a characterization of special alternating knots based on them.
A pair of surgeries on a knot is chirally cosmetic if they result in homeomorphic manifolds with opposite orientations. Using recent methods of Ichihara, Ito, and Saito, we show that, except for the (2,5) and (2,7)-torus knots, the genus 2…
We prove that the so-called t algebra of braids and ties supports a Markov trace. Further, by using this trace in the Jones' recipe, we define invariant polynomials for classical knots and singular knots. Our invariants have three…
Closed 3-string braids admit many bandings to two-bridge links. By way of the Montesinos Trick, this allows us to construct infinite families of knots in the connected sum of lens spaces L(r,1) # L(s,1) that admit a surgery to a lens space…
Let $A=A_{G,N}^{\hbar=1}$ be a quantized Coulomb branch with an antilinear automorphism $\rho$. A map $T\colon A\to\mathbb{C}$ is called a positive trace if $T(a\rho(a))>0$ for all nonzero $a\in A$. Positive traces on Coulomb branches…
We construct an infinite family of topologically slice knots that are not smoothly concordant to their reverses. More precisely, if T denotes the concordance group of topologically slice knots and R is the involution of T induced by string…
As an extension of positive or almost positive diagrams and links, we introduce a notion of successively almost positive diagrams and links, and good successively almost positive diagrams and links. We review various properties of positive…
Neuwirth asked if any non-trivial knot in the 3-sphere can be embedded in a closed surface so that the complement of the surface is a connected essential surface for the knot complement. In this paper, we examine some variations on this…
The trapezoidal Fox conjecture states that the coefficient sequence of the Alexander polynomial of an alternating knot is unimodal. We are motivated by a harder question, the strong Fox conjecture, which asks whether the coefficient…