Related papers: Thin position for knots, links, and graphs in 3-ma…
This is the first in a series of papers where we will derive invariants of three-manifolds and framed knots in them from the geometry of a manifold pseudotriangulation put in some way in a four-dimensional Euclidean space. Thus, the…
In the present paper we determine the Thurston-Bennequin invariant of graph divide links, which include all closed positive braids, all divide links and certain negative twist knots. As a corollary of this and a result of P. Lisca and A.I.…
This paper is expository and is accessible to students. We define simple invariants of knots or links (linking number, Arf-Casson invariants and Alexander-Conway polynomials) motivated by interesting results whose statements are accessible…
We construct an extension of the Kontsevich integral of knots to knotted trivalent graphs, which commutes with orientation switches, edge deletions, edge unzips, and connected sums. In 1997 Murakami and Ohtsuki [MO] first constructed such…
This is a survey paper on algorithms for solving problems in 3-dimensional topology. In particular, it discusses Haken's approach to the recognition of the unknot, and recent variations.
In math.GT/0106017 it was shown that thin position on Heegaard spines can be a useful tool for analyzing the topology of knots in 3-space. The proof there (specifically, of the Goda-Teragaito conjecture) requires masses of technical detail;…
We show how the Turaev--Viro invariant can be understood within the framework of Chern--Simons theory with gauge group SU(2). We also describe a new invariant for certain class of graphs by interpreting the triangulation of a manifold as a…
The first part of this paper is a short review of the construction [dg-ga/9710001] of invariants of rational homology 3-spheres and knots in terms of configuration space integrals. The second part describes the relationship between the…
The spaces of triangulations of a given manifold have been widely studied. The celebrated theorem of Pachner~\cite{Pachner} says that any two triangulations of a given manifold can be connected by a sequence of bistellar moves, or Pachner…
We propose an unexpected twist to description of the geometry and topology of configurations of n straight lines considered as a whole 3D entity (because the lines are inseparably linked pairwise while having linking numbers 1/2 or -1/2)…
Khovanov homology is an invariant for links in the three sphere that categorizes the Jones polynomial. We extend Khovanov's construction to links in 3-manifolds that are connected sums of orientable interval bundles over surfaces. Cutting…
In 2003, Ozsv\'ath and Szab\'o defined the concordance invariant $\tau$ for knots in oriented 3-manifolds as part of the Heegaard Floer homology package. In 2011, Sarkar gave a combinatorial definition of $\tau$ for knots in $S^3$ and a…
This paper is a self-contained development of an invariant of graphs embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space using the Jones polynomial and skein theory. Some examples of the invariant are computed. An unlinked embedded graph is one…
We define some signature invariants for a class of knotted trivalent graphs using branched covers. We relate them to classical signatures of knots and links. Finally, we explain how to compute these invariants through the example of…
This paper presents, with explanatory details, the handle decompositions, fundamental groups and homology groups of 3-manifolds, including some knot complements. Hence, along this paper, when the word manifold appears it is implicit that…
We define a Chern--Simons invariant of connections on stably trivial vector bundles over smooth manifolds, taking values in $3$-forms modulo closed forms with integral cohomology class. We show an additivity property of this invariant for…
We introduce the concept of tied links in the solid torus, which generalize naturally the concept of tied links in $S^3$ previously introduced by Aicardi and Juyumaya. We also define an invariant of these tied links by using skein…
In this paper, we use skein-theoretic techniques to classify all virtual knot polynomials and trivalent graph invariants with certain smallness conditions. The first half of the paper classifies all virtual knot polynomials giving…
We obtain new invariants of topological link concordance and homology cobordism of 3-manifolds from Hirzebruch-type intersection form defects of towers of iterated p-covers. Our invariants can extract geometric information from an arbitrary…
Graph manifolds form important classes of $3$-dimensional closed and orientable manifolds. For example, {\it Seifert} manifolds are graph manifolds where hyperbolic manifolds are not. In applying singularity theory of differentiable maps to…