Related papers: Circle-valued Morse theory for frame spun knots an…
We demonstrate the existence of branched immersed 2-spheres with prescribed mean curvature, with controlled Morse index and with arbitrary codimensions in closed Riemannian manifold $N$ admitting finite fundamental group, where $\pi_k(N)…
It has been conjectured that the algebraic crossing number of a link is uniquely determined in minimal braid representation. This conjecture is true for many classes of knots and links. The Morton-Franks-Williams inequality gives a lower…
The quantized magnetic flux $\Phi=-4\pi N\sk, N=0,\pm1,...$ of non-topological vortices in the non-relativistic Chern-Simons theory is related to the topological degree of the $S^2\to S^2$ mapping defined by lifting the problem to the…
We prove that deciding if a diagram of the unknot can be untangled using at most $k$ Riedemeister moves (where $k$ is part of the input) is NP-hard. We also prove that several natural questions regarding links in the $3$-sphere are NP-hard,…
Wilson-loop averages in Chern-Simons theory (HOMFLY polynomials) can be evaluated in different ways -- the most difficult, but most interesting of them is the hypercube calculus, the only one applicable to virtual knots and used also for…
We prove a "splicing formula" for the LMO invariant, which is the universal finite-type invariant of rational homology $3$-spheres. Specifically, if a rational homology $3$-sphere $M$ is obtained by gluing the exteriors of two framed knots…
The paper suggests new topological lower bounds for the number of zeros of closed 1-forms within a given cohomology class. The main new technical tool is the deformation complex, which allows to pass to a singular limit and reduce the…
Two new invariants that are closely related to Milnor's curvature-torsion invariant are introduced. The first, the spiral index of a knot, captures the minimum number of maxima among all knot projections that are free of inflection points.…
This paper is an introduction to the subject of virtual knot theory, combined with a discussion of some specific new theorems about virtual knots. The new results are as follows: We prove, using a 3-dimensional topology approach that if a…
We formulate a refinement of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on a three-manifold via the refined topological string and the (2,0) theory on N M5 branes. The refined Chern-Simons theory is defined on any three-manifold with a semi-free circle…
Every element in the first cohomology group of a 3--manifold is dual to embedded surfaces. The Thurston norm measures the minimal `complexity' of such surfaces. For instance the Thurston norm of a knot complement determines the genus of the…
We initiate the study of classical knots through the homotopy class of the n-th evaluation map of the knot, which is the induced map on the compactified n-point configuration space. Sending a knot to its n-th evaluation map realizes the…
Lens spaces are the only 3-manifolds that admit gradient-like flows with four fixed points. This is an immediate corollary of Morse inequality and of the Morse function with four critical points existence. A similar question for…
We use the combinatorial techniques of graphs of intersection to study reducible Dehn surgeries on knots in the three-sphere. In particular, in the event that a reducible surgery on a knot K in the three-sphere of slope r produces a…
Let M be a closed connected manifold. Let m(M) be the Morse number of M, that is, the minimal number of critical points of a Morse function on M. Let N be a finite cover of M of degree d. M.Gromov posed the following question: what are the…
Let X be a closed manifold with zero Euler characteristic, and let f: X --> S^1 be a circle-valued Morse function. We define an invariant I which counts closed orbits of the gradient of f, together with flow lines between the critical…
Final revision. To appear in the Journal of Differential Geometry. This paper studies knots that are transversal to the standard contact structure in $\reals^3$, bringing techniques from topological knot theory to bear on their transversal…
In the context of discrete Morse theory, we introduce Morse frames, which are maps that associate a set of critical simplexes to all simplexes. The main example of Morse frames are the Morse references. In particular, these Morse references…
The slicing degree of a knot $K$ is defined as the smallest integer $k$ such that $K$ is $k$-slice in $\#^n \overline{\mathbb{CP}^2}$ for some $n$. In this paper, we establish bounds for the slicing degrees of knots using Rasmussen's…
We show that, for any prime p, a knot K in the 3-sphere is determined by its p-fold cyclic unbranched covering. We also investigate when the m-fold cyclic unbranched covering of a knot coincides with the n-fold cyclic unbranched covering of…